Fictional Season Two & Three
by rapidreader1
Summary: Written after Season One, all of the characters are back to figure out what Katherine is up to.
1. Epi 201 : Consequences

**Elena  
><strong>Elena Gilbert walked into the home she'd known for 17 years, completely unaware that her life was about to take another unexpected turn.

She walked to the stairs, thinking of Jeremy and how upset he'd been lately. She was trying to make up for what she'd done, and understood why he wouldn't accept her apologies. That didn't make his rejections any easier to bear.

"Jeremy, you up?" Elena called, not really expecting an answer but determined to try anyway. She waited for an answer, but before she could start to worry, a sound came from the kitchen. A pan dropping, probably. She turned and walked towards it.

**Damon**  
>Damon Salvatore opened the door uncertainly. Without thinking about it, he'd opened it so that it didn't make a noise. He could tell Stefan wasn't home yet. It was strange, but wasn't worth wasting another moment thinking about.<p>

He'd just kissed Elena Gilbert. The girl who had mended his broken heart. It sounded cliche, but when Pearl and Anna had told him that Katherine both knew and didn't care where he was, something inside of him had broken. And there was Elena. Sweet, caring, thoughtful Elena. She was the exact opposite of Katherine, besides the looks.

How would he tell Stefan? Could he tell Stefan? He hadn't thought she'd let him even kiss her cheek, never mind her lips. And there was something so familiar about that kiss, as if he'd kissed her in another lifetime.

What could have changed her mind about him? She didn't seem too thrilled at the Founder's Day extravaganza, not that he was surprised. Considering he'd almost been burned alive, he hadn't had too much fun either.

Thinking about that basement made Damon think about the Mayor. Why had he been taken there? The vervain obviously hadn't affected him, but the frequency had. For a moment, he wondered if anything had happened to the Mayor's son. What was his name? Tyler, that was it.

Inevitably, his thoughts couldn't stray from Elena for long. Stefan would be home any minute, and what could he say? Stefan was being as jealous as that whipped vampire Edward Cullen. At least that pathetic excuse had never had to deal with Katherine and his brother.

Something in Damon suddenly stopped. He froze in a way only a vampire could, then raced out the door. He knew who that kiss had reminded him of.

**Jeremy**  
>Jeremy waited for life to end. He used to be into drugs, and he knew how many you needed to take before you'd pass out. He waited for that now, waited for that endless peace that he knew being a vampire would bring. He liked the idea that Anna's blood would give him this release...release from her.<p>

**Elena**  
>Elena turned into the kitchen, and her first thought was how simple the room was. She'd never noticed before. Everything was white, and in order.<p>

Except now there was blood and a body on the floor.

She gasped, thoughts turning to Stefan, who would know what to do. He could protect her. The next second, she recognized the body.

Was she doomed to lose everything, then? Her birth mother was a complete disappointment. Both of her adopted parents were dead. Jeremy hated her. Was it fate's cruel joke that her birth father was lying on the floor, a pool of blood around him?

While she stood, unable to move her eyes from that awful sight, Aunt Jenna entered through the other door. She gasped and immediately grabbed the phone to call 911.

"No!" Elena shouted, looking with tear-filled eyes at the last member of her family who wasn't dead and didn't hate her. She reached out her hand. "I need to call Stefan," she said, voice breaking.

Aunt Jenna paused for a moment, then walked across the room to give the phone to Elena.

"Stefan?"

"Elena, what's wrong?" Stefan asked, voice hard and sure.

"John. He...he..." She knew she wouldn't need to say anything more, which was good, because words were becoming impossible for her.

"I'm on my way." She hung up.

Aunt Jenna looked at John, then sat down in a chair. "We need to call 911," she told Elena faintly.

"No, we don't."

"Elena, I'm tired of your attitude today! What were you doing outside with Damon? What are you thinking?"

"Damon?" Elena repeated, voice hard.

"Yes Elena, Damon. I don't want you to be with him, and it's obvious that he's a bad influence!"

"Jenna, I only just got home!" Elena cried. Her eyes drifted to the body of her father, and understanding came.

**Damon**  
>Damon ran, terrified that he would be too late. He knew now why Elena had seemed so different earlier...she wasn't Elena at all. She was Katherine.<p> 


	2. Epi 202 : Failing Fighters

**Stefan**  
>Stefan reached Elena's house, glad that he'd been so close. The door wasn't locked, so he walked inside, where the smell of fresh blood overtook the rest of his senses.<p>

He ran into the kitchen, finding Elena and Jenna both standing. Elena was looking at the body, her expression showing absolute terror. Jenna was watching Elena with suspicious eyes.

Then Stefan saw John, lying on the floor in his own blood. That wasn't the only place where the smell was coming from: the counter had streaks, and...

He grabbed Elena's shoulders gently. Pulling her back, he caught Jenna's eyes and motioned towards the living room. As soon as he'd gotten them both onto a sofa, the door opened again and Damon ran through.

"Where is she?" He saw Elena first and rage took over his features. Then he noticed the tears, and Stefan. And last, the smell of blood that still hung in the air.

**Damon**  
>"She who?" Damon's brother asked, standing in front of Elena protectively.<p>

He didn't bother answering Stefan's question. Following the smell, he found the kitchen, where a body, blood, and a few detached fingers were all that was left of the great John Gilbert.

"Katherine's back," he announced, strolling back into the room where the Gilbert women and Stefan were all waiting.

They were all silent for a moment, and then everyone talked at once.

"Katherine? Here?"

"Who is Katherine? Elena, what's going on?"

"Where's Jeremy?"

Elena spoke last, and Damon listened only to her question. He raced up the stairs, reaching the room he'd left only a few minutes ago, and found the youngest Gilbert laying in bed, the faint smell of blood other than John's and a few pills still in the air.

Damon wondered if he'd ever made so many mistakes in one day.

**Elena**  
>Elena waited downstairs impatiently. Jeremy had been through so much lately, and he still hated her and Katherine had been in the house.<p>

_How could this have happened?_ she asked herself. What if Jeremy was dead, just like her adopted parents and birth father?

Before she could ask if Stefan would go see what was going on, he looked at her and said, "Please stay here." She nodded.

Stefan ran up the stairs and left her alone with Aunt Jenna.

"Elena, please tell me the truth. Who's Katherine?"

She didn't know how much to tell her. "Katherine...is this girl who Damon and Stefan used to date."

Aunt Jenna's eyes flashed. "What were you thinking when I caught you on the porch?"

"Porch? Aunt Jenna, I didn't see you until we found..." She trailed off. "What did you see?"

"Elena, I asked you to tell me the truth. Are you trying to tell me that there was another Elena who was kissing Damon outside?"

Elena's mouth dropped. She looked down. _Why do these things happen?_

"Katherine looks like me. Exactly like me, I mean."

"Elena, you don't have a twin. Please stop telling me lies."

**Stefan**  
>Stefan came up the stairs and found Damon in Jeremy's room. Jeremy was asleep, but Damon seemed to be having trouble waking him up.<p>

Damon looked up. "Call an ambulance," he said hurriedly. Stefan ran to Elena's room and made the call.

**Elena**  
>Elena heard the sirens before she saw the lights. As soon as they turned into her driveway, she left Aunt Jenna to answer the door. Instead, she ran upstairs and into Jeremy's room, where she found Damon.<p>

"What happened?" she gasped. Someone touched her shoulders. She turned around and looked into Stefan's eyes.

"Jeremy's trying to become a vampire," Stefan told her in a low voice as people started hurrying up the stairs. She gasped again, feeling helpless and out of place.

"Did Katherine-?"

"No, he chose it on his own."

She looked at her cousin, the young boy she'd called brother for most of her life. Suddenly it occurred to her that she'd failed her family. She fell to her knees, Stefan going down with her, and cried.


	3. Epi 203 : The Future Holds

**Damon**  
>Damon waited in the hospital, watching Elena out of the corner of his eye and generally feeling useless. He'd already cleaned up John's body, and he knew that the ring was missing.<p>

He also had recently found out that Caroline, the human girl he'd used for blood, was in surgery. Tyler Lockwood had crashed the car, and she'd suffered internal bleeding.

There was no peace for Elena, he knew that. Her brother and friend were both fighting for their lives, and Katherine was out there somewhere, creating chaos, or whatever it was she did these days. He no longer cared about Katherine. He'd known that from the moment he'd seen Elena sink to the floor, drowning in her own misery. Nothing was more important to him then making sure that she never had to endure those feelings again.

Damon stood suddenly, making everyone jump. No one had moved in what felt like hours. He glanced at Elena, who was curled up in Stefan's arms. Damon would have given anything to be in his brother's place at that moment. To be stroking her hair lightly, to feel her hands weakly holding onto his jacket. Her eyes, the only ones that weren't watching him, were drooping, and the light seemed to have gone out from behind them.

Without saying a word, Damon strode away from the group. He'd never been one for a pity party. It wasn't in his nature to sit still when something bad happened. _Come to think of it_, he mused, _saving humans wasn't in my nature either._

Walking down the street, Damon ignored what had claimed his mind earlier. That kiss. The thing that had seemed to change the world, that had given everything bright colors of meaning, had been turned bleak and sharp with the new knowledge he had. Katherine would pay for that.

**Stefan**  
>Stefan watched his brother walk away from their group. Still stoking Elena's hair, urging her to sleep, he thought of Damon's earlier comment.<p>

How had he known that Katherine was in Mystic Falls? Had he seen her? Seen her at the Founder's day celebration? That seemed likely. Yes, he'd told them about the tomb vampires, but Stefan knew that Damon would always do whatever was necessary for Katherine. He was blind in the face of her beauty.

The thought of Katherine brought confused images to Stefan's mind. Katherine, the night she had drained his blood. Katherine, the night she had been caught. Katherine, watching Damon.

Stefan couldn't hate her, though he knew he should. He hated Katherine for what she'd done to Elena. He hated Katherine for leaving Damon the way he'd been after the tomb had been opened. But he didn't hate her for personal reasons. After all, he was the reason she'd been caught in the first place. This was his fault. His brother was a vampire because of him. Elena's father was dead because of him. Elena was hurt because of him.

Bonnie came to mind suddenly. Her warning earlier, that she would take him down to get to Damon if one drop of innocent blood was spilled. Why did Damon always have to ruin things for him?

**Elena**  
>Elena lay, not moving, in Stefan's arms. She remembered how happy she'd been earlier, how much power she'd felt she had when she'd been trying to convince Stefan that she would always love him, would always be his.<p>

She didn't know how to feel about Katherine being back in Mystic Falls. She was angry that John was killed. She was curious about this connection to Stefan and Damon, and how it would affect their relationships. But mostly she was afraid. Afraid for herself, for the people she loved, for the people she knew.

Aunt Jenna's earlier comment came to her. Damon . . . had been kissing Katherine. On her front porch. Instead of feeling annoyed or angry, she felt . . . pity. Surely Damon had thought that it was Elena he was talking to. She imagined for a moment what it would be like if she had kissed someone who looked like Stefan. She knew Damon was angry, because that was the Damon way. He lived his life with fire, passion and intensity.

She sighed and relaxed into Stefan's arms. Aunt Jenna was looking at the floor. Elena knew she would still be angry over what she'd thought had happened earlier with Damon. But how to combine anger with sadness and sympathy for those Elena had lost? Unclear. She probably thought that Elena was leading them both on.

This secret life Elena led was not one she'd wanted to drag her family into. Jeremy had already brought himself into it, for better or for worse. But now Aunt Jenna? Kind, considerate, selfless Jenna? Elena wasn't sure she could allow that to happen.

**Damon  
><strong>Damon wondered where he would find Katherine. Maybe in a mansion, but she wasn't as stupid as Isobel, and she wouldn't want to bring too much attention to herself yet.

He figured she could only be found if that was what she wanted. As much as it killed him, Katherine was better. She knew how to play people like a game of chess, and she wasn't afraid to sacrifice. Killing John had been the equivalent of the black queen taking down a white pawn. Insignificant. Unmeaningful.

Without him deciding anything, his path had brought him to Elena's house again. There was the exact spot where he'd been sure his luck was finally changing, when he'd thought the whole Katherine had left behind was going to be filled. And it was filled. By Katherine. _Again_.

Was it just him, or did it seem to be the longest night ever? The time he'd been in the hospital had not been short, and it should be light out. Looking up at the sky, he saw dark clouds hiding the sun. Not normal at all.

"Enjoying my handiwork?"

Damon spun around, not used to being caught by surprise. Despite seeing her last night, he still couldn't believe how much she'd changed. He would always remember Katherine in those big dresses. Part of him differentiated between Katherine and Elena by the clothes they wore. Seeing Katherine in jeans was . . . not right.

The sly smile on her face was, though. No way Elena would ever give anyone a look like that. Elena was full of grins.

The energy that came off of Katherine was enough to be able to tell it was not Elena. She felt mysterious, full of energy. It was like she was always wearing a masquerade mask. Elena was open, happy. Though Elena was almost the same age Katherine had been when she was turned, the girls in this day and age didn't hold themselves the same way their counterparts did a century ago. Katherine was a woman, no doubt about it. There was never a moment when her flame flickered or went out. It was always shining, always cast more shadow than darkness.

Thinking of Elena and all that was right about her, he watched Katherine with the wary stare one gives a panther. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Damon, I thought you'd be happy to see me," she said in a voice meant to seduce. She lowered her face, still watching him, so that shadows spilled across her cheeks. He paused, looking into eyes that cut into him, exposing his every secret. She knew how he felt about Elena, and Damon knew that Katherine would use that if she needed to. He would not let that happen.

"Why would you ever think that I would be happy to see you?" She walked to the other side of the porch, hands by her sides. Seeing that from her was so wrong.

"You seemed happy enough to see me earlier." Her eyes, which had been looking out at the cloudy sky, turned back towards him, and the fox smile came back. He didn't know what to say to that.

"I didn't know that was you," he finally responded, still never moving.

"Yes, you thought I was Elena, didn't you? I've heard so much about her. We'll have to meet soon." She watched for his reaction. "Apparently we have a lot in common."

"Elena is nothing like you," he forced out.

"Oh really Damon? Tell me if I get anything wrong. She looks exactly like me. She keeps secrets. She hold the hearts of both Salvatore brothers." Her smirk grew more pronounced. Damon could never imagine anyone looking less like Elena.

Again, he didn't know what to say. Never letting his eyes leave her, he finally thought of John.

"Why did you kill John?"

Katherine's expression never faltered. "It was necessary."


	4. Epi 204 : United in Conflict

**Elena**  
>Elena opened her eyes into a sharp world. Life was full of pain lately, and though she hadn't even realized that she'd fallen asleep, coming back was hard.<p>

Alaric had joined them. Sitting next to Aunt Jenna, she finally looked comfortable with one of his arms around her.

Elena eyes found Stefan, and she felt his arms tighten around her. She tried to smile, but it turned into more of a look of pain than of happiness. He understood, though. Like always.

She looked around her and saw that Matt and Sheriff Forbes were still sitting a ways away. Poor Matt. He'd been through so much lately. Loosing Vicki and his mom had been hard, and it still hurt to know how much pain she was causing him.

And Caroline. They hadn't talked in a while, and somehow that made it worse. Elena felt horribly guilty, and she couldn't help but feel like she'd let Caroline down. As if she had room for anything else to worry about.

Then she realized who was missing.

"Where's Damon?" she asked Stefan quietly.

"He left a while ago." She could see the tightly controlled energy that was inside of him, the need to keep her safe from anything threatening.

Elena turned her attention to Aunt Jenna. "Any news yet? On Caroline or Jeremy?"

"No," Jenna answered, voice soft, but eyes hard.

Elena wished she could talk to Stefan alone. She needed to find out what they were going to tell Aunt Jenna. How in the world could they explain that she would probably need to stay somewhere else for a while because Katherine could get into their house?

"Stefan, can we talk?" she asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Of course," he answered in a low voice.

The couple walked over to a corner across the room. It was hardly private, but they weren't in any danger of being overheard. Before Elena could say anything, Stefan put his arms around her. It was exactly what she needed. Her breathing evened out and her body lost some of it's tension.

After they'd stood like that for a few moments, Elena stepped back, and Stefan's hands cupped her face. He looked at her like she was precious and very, very breakable.

"What are we going to tell Aunt Jenna?" she asked.

"Have you considered telling her the truth?" he said slowly.

"About the vampires? I can't . . . . Stefan, I don't have any regrets. Not with you. But I live in a life full of secrets. I know how hard it can be. I don't want this for Jeremy or Jenna. Jeremy can't be helped, but if I can do something to keep Aunt Jenna in the dark, then I will. Is there anything else we can tell her?"

"Maybe. But the chances that she'll believe it are slim. She's smart, just like her niece." Elena gave him a rueful look. "Do you think she'd believe that it was a normal murderer?"

Elena fidgeted uncomfortably. She hadn't done anything wrong. She knew she hadn't. And yet...

"Jenna walked out on Damon and Katherine." She left the rest for Stefan to put together. She didn't think she could say the rest.

"Oh." He didn't say anything else, and she looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. "So that's how he knew."

**Damon**  
>Damon watched Katherine's every movement. She sat down on the chairs, not leaving enough room for him to sit, even though he never would have anyway. And she knew that. Of course she did.<p>

"Why did you send a messenger?"

"Isobel? She's just something you left behind. She's a very good worker. Or, she was." Katherine granted Damon a disapproving smile. "Really, Damon, you should learn to clean up after yourself."

So he hadn't needed to kill the messenger after all. Damon's thoughts turned to Elena, who was waiting to hear news about the last family she had left. Recalling the look on her face when he'd first walked in and thought she was Katherine, that tear-stained, hopeless expression, Damon looked at Katherine not as the women he had once loved, but as someone who ruined lives. Someone who left nothing to live for in her wake.

"Stay away from Elena. I don't care what you're doing here, but if you're smart, you'll never go near her. Do your business and get out." His words were hard, voice leaving no doubt of a hidden threat.

"Elena is my business. We're kin, after all. And who are you to tell me I can't see my family?" Katherine stood before she spoke, and her words had power behind them.

Damon didn't back down. "If you hurt her, I'll personally make sure you never see another day."

"All this hate for someone you once loved?" Katherine turned on another face, this time a searching, helpless look. He knew she was good at that. At turning her expressions on and off. She played people just as she always had, and she had even less respect for human life then Isabel. Damon hadn't known Katherine when she was alive, but he knew that she'd changed. She lived her life without care, without emotions, the way vampires were meant to live.

"I loved you once. But not anymore."

"Why? Why don't you love me anymore?" Katherine leaned towards him, still using those distressed eyes. She was as close to begging as she could get.

Damon laughed without humor and turned his back on her. He walked away, down the street, then turned back. Even with his sensitive hearing, he hadn't heard her leave. She was a dangerous enemy to have, and Katherine was determined to have what she wanted.


	5. Epi 205 : Betrayal

**Elena**  
>Elena watched the pain in Stefan's eyes. Even though her mind was chanting over and over that she'd done nothing wrong, it still felt like that little bit of trust she'd earned back at the Grill was lost. And she didn't know how to get it back.<p>

Her eyes wandered, finding Aunt Jenna watching her. They locked eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if Elena could hear into her Aunt's mind. _Do the right thing_. She had, or at least she thought so.

"Stefan. Tell me what's going on. Talk to me," she urged, turning back to him.

The man she loved laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh. It was the laugh of someone who had been through too much in a day. She frowned. "You don't want to hear what I'm thinking, Elena."

Her frown intensified. "Why don't I?"

He paused. "Remember when I said that I'm always trying to hate my brother?" Elena waited a second, then nodded slowly. "Well, it's really not that hard now."

"But Stefan, why? Damon didn't kiss me. You know I wouldn't let him. I love you, Stefan," she reminded him.

"I know that." He sighed. "You don't understand Elena."

"Then make me understand," she said.

"I hate my brother for ruining everything for me! For ruining any chance I've ever had at a normal life. Do you know what I'd do, what I'd give, to be like you? I hate what I am. I hate what I do. But whenever I find something that's good, something that's worth living for" - his hands cupped her face gently and his eyes turned wistful - "he always ruins it."

Elena looked into the eyes of a boy who couldn't see a way out. After a few moments, she became aware that neither of their voices hadn't been controlled, and hadn't gone unnoticed. Matt, Alaric, Aunt Jenna, and a few hospital staff were all staring at them. Some in outrage, some in confusion. Thankfully, Sheriff Forbes had gone to get coffee.

Alaric was one of the people with a look of utter disbelief and outrage. He stood up, Jenna flanking him, and walked over.

"Damon, Elena?" Alaric asked in a voice parents give their kids when they've expected so much more from them.

"No. It wasn't me. It was Katherine." Alaric knew who that was, and his eyes widened. Looking at Stefan for conformation, which came in the form of a stiff nod, he stepped back. Aunt Jenna watched them all with a puzzled expression.

Before anyone could say anything more, a nurse walked into the waiting room. She turned to Matt first. "Caroline has made it through surgery. It went wonderfully but it will be a few hours until she wakes up." She gave him a kind look, then turned to us. Matt's face fell into his hands, but it was obvious he was relieved.

When the nurse started to walk towards them, they turned to face her, a united front. Jenna and Elena both took a step forward. Elena felt like she couldn't breathe. Where was the air? The pressure built inside of her until the nurse gave them a kind smile also.

"Jeremy has had his stomach pumped, and we expect him to make a full recovery." Elena would have melted to the ground right there, but Stefan held her up. "You can talk to him in a few hours. Ms. Gilbert?" she addressed Jenna, "We need to talk about some counseling options for Jeremy."

While Aunt Jenna gave the nurse a slow, reluctant nod, Elena hugged Stefan fiercely. He hugged her back, carefully, like he was afraid she would break.

Elena thought back to the Founders Day celebration. She'd been so sure that she could fix the anger and betrayal Jeremy had felt. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't handle being pushed away. Not when she had so few people left to her.

When Elena managed to draw her thoughts away from her cousin, she realized that the only people who knew everything and who still cared about her were Stefan and Damon. She cared so deeply about both of them. She loved Stefan so much, and Damon was her friend most of the time.

Realizing this didn't help. Jeremy's actions would have consequences. And most of those would be worse than seeing a counselor.

**Stefan**  
>Stefan held Elena in his arms like he'd done so many times before. She felt so right there, so perfect. Like his little angel. His little angel Elena . . . .<p>

Thinking of Elena lead to thoughts of Damon and Katherine. Stefan flinched thinking of what he'd learned earlier. Damon had kissed Katherine and thought it was Elena. Thank goodness it wasn't Elena, but now their cards had been shown. Stefan knew what happened in the next few weeks would resemble what happened 1864. Only this time, Elena would be stuck in the middle.

Sweet, innocent Elena stepped out of Stefan's arms. She looked exhausted, yet strong and able to take on a lot more than she had ten minutes ago. Before his very eyes, she was building herself back up again. That was what Elena did. She dealed with whatever came her way with style and grace. Stefan admired her so much for that.

"We need to find Damon," she said in a strong, sure voice.

"Why?" Stefan asked, feeling slightly wounded and hoping she couldn't see through him.

Elena gave him a knowing look and explained. "Katherine's around Mystic Falls. That's not a good thing for any of us. We need to stick together through this."

She was right, of course. He'd never known a time when she was wrong.

"Ok," he agreed.

Running a hand through her hair, Elena sighed. "Can you go and get the car started? I need to go talk to Aunt Jenna."

"Of course," Stefan responded quietly, kissing her forehead. She gave him a small smile, then turned and walked across the room.

Stefan grabbed his jacket and strode down the hall, happy that Jeremy was okay. Elena couldn't lose much more, he knew.

Pushing open the hospital doors, Stefan walked to the car he'd driven there. As soon as he saw the window, Stefan froze then looked around in a panic. Then he looked at the small, red kiss that had been left on his window. Katherine was there.


	6. Epi 206 : Newborn

**Elena**  
>Elena told Aunt Jenna that she was leaving for a few hours. Jenna waved her off in a distracted way and continued to look stressed. Elena looked to Alaric for conformation, and he nodded.<p>

Turning, her eyes found Matt. He gave her a weak smile, which she returned. She mouthed _I'll be back soon_ and he nodded. Stepping out into the deserted hall, Elena tried to remember which way she turned to leave.

"You must be Elena."

Elena spun around and found herself looking at her twin. Or someone who could be her twin. Katherine.

Automatically, without thinking about it, Elena glared. She couldn't help it. This was the woman who had broken Stefan and Damon's hearts. This was the person who had murdered her father. This was the girl who had killed countless people.

"So you're Katherine." Elena crossed her arms and continued to glare. Katherine was looking at her like a cat would a mouse. But Elena was determined not to be a mouse.

"You are exactly what I was expecting. That's disappointing. I've heard so much about you." Katherine did look disappointed, but also amused.

"I feel the same way." Actually, she didn't. This was the girl that Stefan, her Stefan, and Damon had fallen for? Why?

Also, Elena was less disappointed than scared. Katherine had a lot of reasons to hate her. But Elena also had many reasons to hate Katherine.

"Why did they fall for you?" Elena wondered out loud.

"What do they see in you?" Katherine asked in a way that reminded Elena of Isobel. It also reminded her that Katherine was just another girl-another _woman-_-who was jealous over a lost love. Suddenly Katherine seemed a lot more manageable.

"I'm not afraid of you," Elena declared boldly, chin held high.

Katherine smiled slowly and shook her head. "You should be. I'm sure you saw what I did to your precious father. I can do the same thing to you, and neither Stefan nor Damon can do anything about it."

Elena felt sure that her knees were shaking. This was beyond cat and mouse.

Before anything else could happen, the door behind Elena slammed open and Stefan entered the room. He looked at them for a moment, and then took a step between them, separating them.

"Hello Stefan. It's been a long time," Katherine purred. Stefan refused to look at her. "I never did thank you for turning me in." She smiled dangerously at Stefan, then turned her attention to Elena. "I'll be seeing you soon. Best of luck to Jeremy."

Before Elena could blink an eye, Katherine was gone. Her heart was beating too hard. She couldn't breathe right. Her eyes found Stefan, who was watching her with concern. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off by walking away.

Elena didn't know what to feel. She wanted to ask How could you love her? but she knew from experience that love wasn't always understandable or easy to explain. But it still hurt her that this woman who had hurt her so much, had once been loved by the people who loved Elena now.

_Who am I to judge?_ she thought. _Maybe she was a totally different person back then_. But then she remembered the stories of how both men had turned. Perhaps she was right.

**Jeremy  
><strong>Jeremy woke up in a hospital.

The walls were white, the bed was white, even the hospital dress he was wearing was white. There was also a tube in his nose, which Jeremy tried to tug out before some beeping stopped him.

Why was he in the hospital?

He remembered...Anna being taken away. He'd been sure that she was dead, that he'd never see her again. It hit him every few seconds: _You've lost her. Nothing is forever. You lost her._

Then Damon had shown up. That was strange. And...he'd apologized. For what happened to Vicki. He'd been nice, and had given Jeremy a chance to forget about Anna. But he hadn't understood what it felt like to lose someone like that. There is _nothing_ more terrible than that. Nothing more painful and all-consuming. A kind of physical pain, nothing that forgetfulness could cover up.

Jeremy remembered being angry. After asking Damon a few questions, he'd come to the idea that life would be easier if he were a vampire. Anna and Damon had said that he'd be able to turn his feelings off. He wouldn't have to remember Anna if he didn't want to.

So he'd...he'd tried to turn into a vampire. By overdosing on Elena's pills. And now...they would have pumped those all out of him. They'd taken away his chance at becoming a vampire. As soon as Anna's blood left his system, he would have no way, no chance, at becoming a vampire.

But, maybe he was a vampire. Maybe they hadn't gotten to him in time. Jeremy tried to check-did he feel hungry? More than usual? Yes, he was hungry, but was it in a new way? Did blood sound good? He wasn't quite sure.

A nurse opened the door to his room. She smiled kindly at him and then went to check some monitor. She looked down at him with a chastising look. "Don't touch that tube, honey. It's helping you get better."

Jeremy tried to think of something to say, something to ask, but nothing came to mind. Thoughts of Anna were consuming him.

"Okay," he choked out. Blinking hard to keep the tears out of his eyes, Jeremy tried to sit up. The nurse put a firm hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down.

"You need your rest, honey. I'll let you have visitors for a few minutes, but not long. Your family has been very worried." Jeremy was sure they were. But he didn't want to talk to them. Elena had betrayed him. Jenna didn't understand anything. Maybe Uncle John would-yes, he would talk to John.

Before he could say anything more, Jenna walked in, followed by Elena. Jenna looked worried, and fierce. Elena looked angry and exhausted. At least ten years older.

"Where's Uncle John?" Jeremy asked quietly. He couldn't believe that John wasn't here. Out of everyone alive, John had been the one who believed in him most.

He tried to hold Jenna's eyes, but she turned away blinking. Unwillingly, he looked at Elena for an answer.

She cleared her throat, glanced at Jenna, and then turned to Jeremy with pity in her eyes. "Jer, I'm so sorry. John...he was killed." She blinked tears away.

"What were you thinking, Jeremy? Why would you try to kill yourself? Do you have any idea what this has been like for us?" Jenna said in a low, scary voice. Jeremy didn't even look at her. His mind was still consumed with the thought that John was killed.

He put his head in his hands. "John..." Two people. Two people he'd lost in one night. Two people that he probably could have saved. "Would it have made a difference? If I had been there? How did he die?"

"There's nothing you could have done," Elena said quietly, sitting down in a nearby chair.

"We don't even know who did it yet," Jenna added.

"Did what?" Jeremy asked quickly.

"When we found John, he had been stabbed," said Jenna.

Jeremy turned his eyes to the small windows. Why did these things happen? Why must every person who cared about him die?

He heard Elena get up from her chair to perch on the side of his bed. She put her hand out slowly, like you would a frightened animal. Jeremy couldn't see her, but he could hear the air moving. Her hand paused, shaking. Then it steadied and stoked his hair gently. Without meaning to, Jeremy leaned back towards her. He was surprised to feel tears pooling in his eyes. He looked at her and she gave a look that said _I know. I understand._

They both moved, Elena to sit on the side of the bed with her back on the wall. Jeremy leaned against her, tears falling down his cheeks while Elena continued stroking his hair. He wanted to be mad, he wanted to be angry. But all he felt was pain, pain for those he'd lost.

At some point, Jenna left the room silently. Elena stayed, sometimes freezing suddenly, so that he wished he knew what she was thinking. But then she would melt again, and make some sort of gesture towards making him feel better. Neither of them said anything.


	7. Epi 207 : The Real Deal

**Stefan**  
>Stefan sat outside Jeremy's hospital room, wondering what else could happen in one day. There must be some sort of end. Some way to release what he was feeling.<p>

If Jeremy was a vampire, Stefan would have to teach him, would have to show him how to survive without hurting anyone. But if all of his attention was on Jeremy, who could protect Elena? Not Damon. He was sure about that. Maybe Alaric.

He stood, feeling too full to sit any longer. He had energy, more then usual, the energy that comes from feelings. Anger, more specifically.

Stefan had tried not to listen to what was happening in the hospital room. As he leaned against the doorframe, he watched Elena carefully. Jenna was looking out the window, utterly distracted by her thoughts and feelings.

Elena, however, was holding Jeremy in her arms. Stefan couldn't see Jer's face, but he could watch Elena's. She was trying so hard to remain strong. Her efforts found their basis in the need to make everyone else feel better. If she lost it, so would everyone else. Stefan admired her for having the strength, will and courage to hold everyone's needs on her shoulders. She was, in the simplest and most profound of ways, amazing.

**Damon**  
>Damon stole a car and drove around town, looking everywhere for Katherine. Stefan would take care of Elena, he knew. Nothing would happen to her while she was under their protection. It was the only thing in the world that could have brought he and his brother together.<p>

Hours later, Damon was forced to admit defeat. He'd looked everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places, for Katherine, and had found nothing to make him believe she was in Mystic Falls.

He returned to the hospital. At first he didn't notice the scents that came, but when Elena's familiar smell reached him, he stopped. She had been about to leave, but then stopped and lingered there. Another scent, also familiar, had been coming in, and had also stayed. Elena and Katherine.

Damon didn't smell any blood, so he took that as a good sign. He also smelled Stefan, but very faintly, as though he had only been there a moment. His scent, also, came from the outside.

Damon strode into the building, smelling, hearing, and seeing only Elena. He found her quickly, but before he could say anything, someone pushed him away, out the door and back into the hallway.

Coming back to himself, Damon realized that Stefan was the one who'd pushed him back. That was okay, he wanted to have some words with him too.

"How could you let Katherine get to Elena?" he snarled.

"I didn't," Stefan argued. "Elena's fine."

"That's fine and dandy, but you left Elena unprotected. Katherine could have killed her a million times over in the time before you came to Elena's rescue." Damon felt energy pulsing through him, energy which promised and threatened the ability to destroy.

"I was going to get the car for her, Damon. So we could go find you. I won't leave her unprotected again," Stefan vowed.

"Of course she won't be unprotected," Damon grinned suddenly. "Because she'll have me."


	8. Epi 208 : Learning to Act

**Katherine**  
>Katherine left the Mystic Falls Hospital feeling triumphant, a familiar emotion for her. She'd been hurt earlier by Damon's words...but of course, that made her play harder.<p>

She loved knowing that her presence was causing panic among some of the more perceptive citizens of Mystic Falls. Katherine wondered what Damon and Stefan thought she was doing.

They probably thought she was there to kill Elena or something like that, but her reason's weren't so petty, thoughtless and simple. She wanted something from Mystic Falls, and she wasn't leaving without it. Resuming her play with the Salvatore brother's was just going to be a plus. And she was the tiniest bit curious about Elena.

**Elena**  
>Elena woke suddenly. Her eyes opened to darkness and a hospital room. Jeremy was laying by her, and he was still asleep. She kissed the top of his head and slowly got off the bed, making sure she wouldn't wake him.<p>

Elena yawned as she closed the door behind her. The ever-present hospital noises surrounded her, and she blinked slowly, struggling to wake up fully.

The waiting room was nearly empty. Matt still sat in his seat, but he too was asleep. Sheriff Forbes slept beside him, her face relaxed for once.

A nurse walked into the room quietly, and Elena asked her in a whisper, "Is Caroline Forbes all right?"

"Yes," the nurse said kindly and quietly. "She's sleeping. She can have visitors once she wakes up."

"Thank you," Elena said with a smile. The nurse gave a tired smile back, then disappeared behind some doors.

After taking a seat, Elena caught a sudden movement across the room. It was Damon, and he sat down beside her. Matt and Liz slept peacefully on the other side of the room.

"How are you?" he asked carefully.

She turned to face him. "How do you think?"

Damon's eyes tightened, and she sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." Elena paused. "Where's Stefan?"

"Outside the hospital." He gazed around the room.

"And why is he there?"

"Checking to make sure it's secure. We'll switch places in about an hour."

Elena's voice turned disapproving. "Are you two trying to protect me?"

"Katherine is in town, and until we know why, you're under our care."

"I can take care of myself," Elena argued, feeling like a child.

Damon turned the full force of his eyes on her. "Elena, please don't make this hard. No matter what you say, we'll protect you."

"Why?" she blurted before thinking.

"You know why." Damon turned back to the sleeping room and they sat there, each wrapped up in their own thoughts, until the sun lit up the horizon and Stefan came back.

**Katherine  
><strong>Katherine strolled around Mystic Falls. The sky was still cloudy. She didn't need it to walk around, but it was a nice show of power. How sweet of Damon to notice it.

A few people smiled and waved to her, thinking she was Elena. Katherine ignored them and laughed a little to herself. Elena was a goody-goody. Apparently Damon and Stefan's expectations of a girl had fallen over the past century, but she would be sure to remind them of what they once held dear.

She'd been so angry when Isobel had come back and reported what she knew. Katherine wasn't one to dwell, but she remembered the day with such clarity.

Isobel had flown back to Las Vegas quicker then Katherine had expected. Once she'd learned that Damon was still looking for her and the tomb vampires were out, she'd formed a plan. Actually, it had started long before that. She'd gotten vampires on her side, and then those followers had gotten more vampires who reported to them. It made sure her plan remained hidden.

When Isobel had learned that Elena was looking for her, she'd wanted to go out and begin. She'd almost blown it then, but Katherine convinced her to wait. When she'd finally set Isobel loose, they'd both known her favor was growing thin. There were only so many mistakes one could make before they were useless, a liability. Katherine would have none of those.

So, of course, Isobel had reacted the same way a dog would when it had been locked up for too long. She'd made scenes. Gotten attention. Just what Katherine wanted. Best of all, Isobel had gotten the weapon, then given it to John.

When Isobel returned, she'd told Katherine everything. She was pleased until the end. Damon Salvatore, the man who'd always been waiting on her hand and foot, was in love with the Gilbert girl? Impossible.

Katherine was calm, but when she'd first heard, she'd been very angry. Trying to remain unseen, she'd been avoiding the casino's she usually frequented. Normally she'd have one person a day. Maybe two if she felt like it. But instead she'd had to hide. Katherine did not like hiding.

So, deprived of blood and tired of hiding, she'd lashed out. At Isobel, unfortunately. Oh well. There were bigger things to worry about. Thank goodness she had a spy in their midst, willing to tell her everything she wanted to know.

Katherine walked along the few streets of Mystic Falls. It was such a small town. Had she actually lived here? Everything had been so grand back then.

She spotted a blond girl walking along, and decided to follow her. There was no need to stay hidden now. She could have anything she wanted. It was as easy as see, want, and take.

The blond girl turned into an alley. How considerate. Katherine followed.

There was a boy at the end of the alley. He was also blond, and had nice blue eyes. He didn't see Katherine, though she was right behind the girl.

Blond Girl and Blond Boy met in a fierce hug which turned into a kiss. Katherine thought of Damon the other night, then shuffled the image away for later.

Without a sound, Katherine moved closer to the couple, staying in the shadows.

"Oh, Matt," Blond Girl sighed.

Matt buried his face in her hair. "I'm so glad you're okay Care."

Katherine attacked the Matt first. He was the closest. The girl, Care, didn't seem to understand what was going on until Matt fell to the ground. She looked up in horror, mouth opening to scream, but Katherine pushed her. Care's head hit a wall and she passed out.

Not bothering to clean up her mess, Katherine grabbed Care and left.


	9. Epi 209 : Working it Out

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie arrived at the hospital to see Caroline. She hadn't heard from her in a few days, which was very strange for her friend. Caroline usually texted fifty times a day, called ten times, then marched over to demand a conversation. She might not be able to march, but Bonnie knew Caroline would find a way.<p>

The building was chilled, and filled with the normal hospital sounds. A few nurses passed her, and she saw Jenna Gilbert walking out of a nearby room. Jeremy was probably in there.

Bonnie asked a nurse where Caroline's room was.

"Caroline Forbes? Oh, she left just a bit ago. Maybe a half hour. I'd check her house if I were you." She hustled off to do some heroic nurse thing, and Bonnie headed back out the way she'd come.

It was good Caroline was out. That was a good thing. But why did Bonnie feel so awful all of a sudden? Her mind buzzed in an annoying, painful way. Her muscles cramped.

It took everything she had to make it into her car and drive to the Forbes home. She knocked on the door, searching her purse for some pain relieving pills. She found one.

No one answered, so she left. She let her mind wander while driving. Where was Caroline? Shouldn't she be at home?

When Bonnie came back to her senses, she was driving on a nearly empty street. She parked, still letting her muscles move here where they may, and walked into an alley. Something seemed to be pushing her in there, and she'd learned to trust her witch instincts.

A figure was laying on the ground. Bonnie ran up to it and immediately recognized the face.

"Matt," she whispered. He had a large gash on the side of his neck. Vampire bite. Damon Salvatore.

**Tyler**  
>Tyler listened to the silence. His house had never been silent. His parents were always arguing.<p>

But Mayor Lockwood was dead, along with all his secrets.

Tyler thought about leaving his room, but in order to go anywhere he'd have to pass his parent's room. He knew his mother was in there. She'd been crying for days. He couldn't stand it anymore.

It was funny how his parents had never, _ever_, stopped arguing. He'd doubted many times in his childhood whether or not they even loved each other, of if they just stayed together for the image. Funny how now his father had died, Mayor Lockwood would forever be remembered as a nice man who died for his town. How had he died, though? Tyler didn't know the answer to that. But knowing his father, he would die for his town. One last heroic effort to hide his true self.

There was no way Tyler could stay in his room any longer. He truly was going crazy. There was pictures of wolves all over his room, the product of having nothing to do. His mother may grieve after her lost husband, but Tyler was angry. He wouldn't be fooled into thinking his father was something he wasn't.

In the end, Tyler cranked up his iPod and safely walked by his parents room. There. Safe.

He was still deciding where to go when Bonnie called.

**Stefan**  
>Stefan sat in the Salvatore mansion with Elena. Damon was off doing whatever he considered would protect Elena. She lay curled up against him, breathing softly, and Stefan felt at peace. Or, he would, if Damon didn't exist and make so many problems that other's had to fix.<p>

He still wasn't sure how he felt about Damon protecting Elena. Of course he knew Damon had feelings for her. But Stefan knew how Damon's feelings could destroy someone. What if Elena fell for his tricks? He'd believed her the other day, when she'd told him that she loved only him. But human feelings could change. He knew that with absolute certainty. He, however, remained unchanging. Forever.

Somehow, Stefan had avoid thinking of the future. Or rather, he hadn't avoided, he'd ran away from those thoughts. They were dangerous.

But now, with Jeremy, Stefan had to face them. What would the future hold for Elena? As long as she was human, she'd change. She'd keep moving. Stefan couldn't move forward, because he would always be stuck the same way. What if she passed him? What would he do?

That meant they would have to think about their options soon. The more they put it off, the less options they'd have.

Every moment that Elena was human, Damon would chase her. Even if she became a vampire, he would want her. What alternatives did Stefan had? What choices? Nothing would work. Damon would forever be in the way of Stefan's happiness. The same way he always had been.

Stefan knew his brother lived by following one goal at a time. He was single minded in achieving it, and thought of little else. Elena was his goal right now. Katherine had been. Trying to get Damon to move on or back off would be like pushing a mountain.

For now, they would have to wait and see what happened with Damon. At the same time, Stefan would always be thinking of his future with Elena.


	10. Epi 210 : The Truth

**Jenna**  
>Jenna was staying at Ric's house for a few days. She knew Elena was at the Salvatores, because she'd called an hour ago. Jeremy was still in the hospital, though he could come home the next morning.<p>

Even though she was staying at the house of the man she maybe loved, Jenna couldn't think of anything romantic. The only thoughts she had were of John, Elena, and Jeremy. John was dead by some unknown person, Elena had seen her dead father, and Jeremy had overdosed. What a perfect family.

Alaric set some tea down in front of her. She knew he was worried. She hadn't said anything in a long time.

In a surprising gesture, Ric put his arm around Jenna. Without telling her body to do so, she curled up into his side. Her heartbeat sped up a little. But she still couldn't forget that her family was falling apart.

"Everyone will be okay," Ric murmured.

She sighed. "No, it won't. Not for a while. Maybe not at all."

"What has you so convinced?"

"Elena's lying to me. Jeremy is in the hospital. How can this ever be okay?"

Ric didn't say anything. She glanced at his face and saw that he was unsure about something.

"Stay here, okay? I'll be back in a moment." Alaric left the sofa and walked into another room. Jenna heard him talking to someone, but she didn't care enough to listen. Instead, she lay down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

**Damon**  
>"We need to tell Jenna," Ric said. Damon sighed into the phone.<p>

"We can't tell Jenna. It's on a need-to-know basis, and she doesn't need to know."

Damon was inside the Salvatore house, watching Elena. Considering he didn't trust his brother, Damon figured the best way to protect her was by keeping her within sight. He needed a drink, but preferred to stay sober until the threat had passed.

Elena, still curled up next to Stefan, looked up at her aunt's name.

"Damon, she feels awful. I know you don't feel emotions like the rest of us, but human emotions can sometimes put you in the need-to-know category."

Damon considered. "Let me talk to Elena about it." He hung up before Ric could say anything.

Elena looked exhausted, but her eyes were alert. "What's wrong?"

"Alaric thinks we should tell Jenna about vampires." His tone made it clear what he thought about the idea.

"Why?"

"She 'feels awful'." Elena's eyes became sad, and Damon became painfully aware then Stefan was watching them both very carefully.

"We should tell her," Elena finally said. Damon, though he wanted to argue otherwise, stayed quiet.

"Watch her," he told Stefan, striding out of the room, even though he'd only be gone for a few moments. He called Alaric back. "We'll do it."

"You will?" Alaric asked, surprised. "Maybe it's not the best idea for vampires to be telling her about vampires."

Damon didn't care. "She'll want Elena there." And where Elena went, Damon went.

Alaric agreed in the end. Damon walked back into the room where neither Elena nor Stefan had moved in hours. "Pack 'em up and move 'em out." He grinned. "It's time to tell Mother Teresa about vampires."

**Jenna**  
>Jenna woke up to a door opening. She was still in Alaric's apartment, still laying on the sofa. She'd only been asleep for fifteen minutes, though.<p>

When she heard voices, Jenna sat up and tried to comb her hair. That was Elena and Stefan. Oh, and Damon too. She needed to have a word with him at some point.

The three newcomers dragged over chairs while Ric sat next to Jenna again. He held her hand, which made her apprehensive. Across from them, Damon, Elena and Stefan all sat, unsmiling.

"What's going on?" she asked. This had the feel of an intervention.

"Aunt Jenna, it's time for you to know a few things," Elena began. "Do you remember the animal attacks?" Jenna nodded. "They weren't animals." She seemed to stop, then start again. "Um, you know Katherine? You're right, she's not my twin. But we're related. She's..." She stopped again, looking to Stefan for help. "Isobel, my birthmother, came to town a week ago."

"Isn't she dead?" Jenna asked, then felt guilty for saying something so rude in front of Alaric.

"Um...kind of. Not really." Elena was struggling.

"Elena, what are you getting at? I don't understand."

"Katherine? Isobel? The animal attacks? Those are all vampires."

The room was completely silent. Everyone was watching Jenna, but she kept waiting for one of them to say "kidding!"

"Vampires? Are you serious?" she finally choked out.

"Yes," Alaric said.

"Did you know about this?" she asked him.

"It took me a while to find out my wife was a vampire." He looked at Damon. "But I've known about them for a long time."

Jenna thought for a moment. "And Elena? You knew too?"

"I found out a couple of weeks after school started." She stared down at her hands.

"How did you find out?" she asked, trying not to feel like a failure.

"Stefan," she said. "He's a vampire."

Jenna looked at him. Why was it she could never tell the good guys from the bad? "Are you a vampire too?" she addressed Damon.

"Yep."

"Aunt Jenna, there are things you should know about vampires before you make assumptions," Elena continued. "Some vampires drink human blood, but some drink animal blood instead." Jenna didn't miss how Damon rolled his eyes. "Vampires can compel you to do things." Elena took a necklace out of her pocket. She handed it over to Jenna, who raised an eyebrow. "This had vervain in it," Elena explained. "So vampires can't compel you."

Jenna put it on. She wondered how Elena could say vampires without thinking. Then something hit her. "_You're dating a vampire?_"

Elena smiled a little. "Yeah, I am." She glanced at Stefan fondly.

"Wait, how did Isobel become one?" she asked Ric. Damon raised his hand.

"That was me," he said, smiling. "If you don't like it, join the witch."

"Witch?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah, um, Bonnie's a witch," Elena told her.

"Elena, do you have any other supernatural friends?" Jenna asked, thinking _Might as well know now_.

"You have no idea," Damon answered, grinning again.


	11. Epi 211 : Compromise

**Katherine  
><strong>Katherine was through with humans.

She stalked through the house and into the back room where she was keeping Care. There was already a few marks in her neck. Katherine preferred men, though, so Care wasn't getting too much use. Maybe she should just kill the girl. She was always making a racket.

"Let me go!" Care screamed when Katherine entered the room. "Let me out of here! Elena, what did you do to Matt? What are you doing to me?"

"First of all," Katherine said in an even, angry tone, "I'm _not_ Elena. Second, I killed your Matt. Third, I think your new name is Snack Time." She paused. "How do you know Elena?"

Care's big, blue eyes looked up at her. "Elena is my friend! We've known each other since kindergarten, so I think I'd recognize her! You are Elena! And my name is _not_ Snack Time, it's Caroline!"

Caroline reminded Katherine faintly of herself. "So you and Elena are...close?"

"Yes," Caroline answered defiantly.

"Caroline, you have just earned yourself a new name," Katherine said sweetly, smiling. "Bait."

**Elena**  
>Elena's phone rang while they were driving back to the Salvatore house. She was trying hard not to think of Jenna, so Elena welcomed the distraction.<p>

"Hello?"

"Elena? It's Bonnie. Do you know where Caroline is?"

Elena frowned and looked out the window, ignoring Damon's gaze. "No, isn't she still in the hospital?"

"No. Elena, I'm really worried about her. I found Matt this morning, passed out in an alley."

"_What?_" Elena nearly yelled. She had the attention of both Salvatore brothers.

"Yeah," Bonnie's voice went flat and cold. "He lost a lot of blood, but the doctor's say he'll be okay." Elena sighed in relief.

"Does _he_ know where Caroline is?"

"No, but he says the last thing he remembers is meeting her in an alley." _Katherine_, Elena thought.

"I'll look for her, and let you know."

"Thanks Elena," both girls hung up.

"Caroline is missing and Matt was attacked," she told Stefan and Damon. "Does that sound like Katherine to you?"

"Exactly like her," Damon said. Stefan nodded.

"Do you know where she is?" Elena asked Damon.

"No. I drove around but couldn't find anything." They both looked disappointed for a moment. Stefan continued driving.

**Stefan**  
>While Damon and Elena were talking, Stefan was thinking. That was Katherine, no doubt about it. He didn't know where she was, but he had an idea of where to find her.<p>

Stefan waited until they got back to the house to go. He dropped Elena and Damon off with as little explanation as he could give.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked while Damon just watched him.

"I'm just going to check a few places. Don't worry." He turned to Damon. "You'll take care of her?" Damon didn't say anything, but Stefan knew he would. This was one of the only times he was grateful for it.

"I'll be back soon." Stefan drove away, trying to think.

**Katherine**  
>Katherine sat in a nearly empty Grill, wondering if her plan would work. Caroline sat across from her, eating fries. Disgusting food. Katherine was glad to be a vampire.<p>

Her plan worked, of course. Her spy knew Stefan hadn't changed. He came in and spotted her. Stefan froze, but she smiled in the way she knew he couldn't resist. Caroline noticed Stefan too, waved, then looked back at Katherine with a terrified look.

He walked over to them, but didn't sit. Whatever. Katherine could work her magic either way. "Hello Stefan," she purred.

"Katherine." He didn't even nod. But, unlike his brother, Katherine could still see a part of herself in his eyes. She could get him back. Easily.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to sit down? Our friend Caroline might relax a little if you did." Katherine never stopped smiling he would be hers, and she would enjoy taking him.

"No, thank you." Fine. If he was being stubborn, so could she.

Katherine stood up. For once, Caroline didn't say a word. "I assume you came here for her?" She gestured to Caroline. Stefan didn't answer. They both knew he didn't need to. "I'll give her back in exchange for something," she offered sweetly.

"What?"

She gave her best smile, the one she used to use on him. "A kiss."

**Elena**  
>Elena was anxious. She paced. Damon was tired just looking at her.<p>

"Elena, please stop moving," he asked in a bored voice.

"I can't." She continue walking in a circle.

"He'll be fine," Damon assured her.

"How do you know that?" she asked angrily. Damon stood, walked up to her, and put his hands on her shoulders. Finally, she stopped moving.

"A little trust, please," he murmured. He gazed into her eyes. She stared right back into his.

Neither of them moved. The seconds dragged on, and the only thing going through Damon's mind was white noise. He'd never been so focused on one thing his entire life. No one, not even Katherine, had been able to distract him so completely.

Elena let out a shaky breath. Damon let go of her, and she moved away. Still not having coherient thoughts, Damon sat back down on the sofa. Elena looked torn. The sofa, or the chair?

In the end, she sat on the sofa, though not touching Damon. It wasn't much, but it was something.


	12. Epi 212 : Secrets that Separate

**Damon**  
>Elena fell asleep about an hour later. Damon watched her peaceful face, remembering the time he'd come into her room and stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. Last time, he'd had only the feelings of a wolf staking it's territory. He did it because he wanted to prove he could, and no one could stop him.<p>

Damon was tempted to do it this time because he cared for her. He loved her in different ways then he'd loved Katherine. Elena was sweet, caring, generous. Katherine, on her best days, was none of those. Neither was Damon, but as they say, opposites attract.

Unfortunately, Elena wasn't attracted to Damon like he was to her. Or if she was, she wouldn't admit it. Maybe she didn't even realize it.

The thought came again to Damon's mind. What would happen if he stroked her cheek? What could have happened earlier if Elena hadn't pulled away?

About two hours after he'd left searching for Katherine, Stefan came back.

"What happened?" Damon said softly, walking out of the room where Elena still slept, but keeping her within sight. "Did you find Katherine?"

"Yes," Stefan answered, jaw tight. "Caroline's at home. Matt's in the hospital, but he can leave tomorrow."

"How did you get her?" Damon asked incredulously.

Stefan shrugged. "Katherine practically gave her up. I guess Caroline was annoying her."

Caroline was annoying, but Katherine wasn't stupid. Neither was Damon. "Stefan, I think we both know that Katherine never gives _anything_ up without payment, annoying teenage girls included." Why was Stefan lying?

"I don't know what you want to hear, but she gave Caroline up." Stefan's dark eyes showed what he was thinking. _Back off_.

Whatever Stefan was keeping from him was probably something he didn't want Elena to know. That's why he wouldn't tell him. Damon flashbacked to the summer days of 1864, when Katherine would tease them with things that always had a price. Her prices back then had been kisses and favors. Damon knew without hesitation which one Katherine would ask for this time.

"Ah, you kissed her." He tilted his head towards the ceiling, thinking about all the things Stefan had done wrong over the past few months. Fall in love with a human. Drink animal blood. Drink human blood after going without it for so long. Kiss Katherine Pierce.

"Damon, it was the only way-" Stefan started to explain. Damon knew very well how that would be the only way. From the moment Katherine laid her greedy eyes on Stefan, there had only been two options for Caroline: Be killed, or leave with Stefan.

Unfortunatelly for him, Damon wasn't in the mood for reason. "Are you going to tell Elena?" They both knew what his answer would be, but Damon wanted to hear him say it.

"No."

"Why? Are you ashamed?" Damon taunted him.

"She doesn't need to know," Stefan said in a hard tone, eyes holding Damon's.

Never one to back down, Damon took a step forward. "You're still in love with Katherine. You know it, I know it, she knows it. You tell Elena, or she'll hear it from someone else. You _will_ lose Elena if you don't stop loving Katherine."

Stefan moved so he was right in Damon's face. "Are you going to tell her?"

Would Damon tell her? If he was being honest with himself, he'd have to admit that he wouldn't. Him was doing the right thing didn't mean Elena wouldn't be angry with the messenger. The only part he would play in that little drama would be one that helped him get closer to Elena. Probably the friend she came running to when her boyfriend confessed.

Because he didn't have an answer to Stefan's question, Damon repeated himself. "You will lose Elena if you don't stop loving Katherine." Then he walked away, into another room where he didn't have to look at Stefan anymore, but he could gaze upon the face of Elena Gilbert, a beautiful girl who was having a very bad week.

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie arrived home from the Forbes house. Caroline was back, thanks to Stefan. She was going to be there when Matt came home tomorrow. Thank goodness Tyler was there to help her.<p>

She locked the door behind her, then looked around. The house was empty, as always. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett worked from six in the morning until nine at night. Bonnie usually saw them for an hour or less, depending on what she was doing that day. No adult figure besides Grams had ever taken a role in her life.

Bonnie pushed those thoughts back down. She thought of Damon, who was responsible for Grams death, and who'd attacked Matt. Her hands shook with anger.

Caroline had been too freaked out when Stefan had taken her home. Whenever they got her to answer a question, she always insisted that she didn't remember anything. Why Damon had taken Caroline, Bonnie had no idea. Possibly just for kicks. That seemed like the kind of thing he would do.

She'd warned Stefan. She'd trusted him to make sure Damon was kept in check. She wasn't sure who could keep Damon in line, but Stefan was probably the best choice. It wasn't Stefan's fault though. Damon was a nuisance, and she'd known that for a long time. The only reason she hadn't let him fry in the fire was because of Elena, and even those passes had run out.

Elena's attraction to vampires was hazardous, and Bonnie couldn't make heads or tails of it. She had no idea why someone would choose to be around bloodsucking creatures all day, but if anyone was to do it, it would be Elena. Stefan, Bonnie could understand up to a point. He was a good guy, and he didn't want to be a vampire.

Damon, on the other hand, loved being a vampire. He probably thought it was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He killed without thought or reason. And yet Elena had befriended him, she was even attracted to him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

It was time to act. Act against Damon and his lifestyle. It was not okay, and she would not tolerate it, at least not while she could do something about it. She needed to make a plan.

The only ways she knew to kill a vampire were fire and steaks. She knew where to find some steaks, but could she use one? No way would Bonnie have the ability to get close enough to do it. Fire was an ability she had. Elements. All it would take was some water. Such a simple solution to Mystic Fall's problems.

A plan formed itself in Bonnie's head. She would get him to the tomb where all the vampires had been. It was the perfect place, almost poetic. The place where his greed had ended the life of Grams, he would die. She would have some water waiting for them, then while he was distracted, she would end him forever.

She would tell Elena...what? Whatever would appease her. Damon attacked her so she was using self defense. It was a tragic accident, and she found him. Both would work, and she would have to hope that Stefan wouldn't spill the beans. Despite what she'd told him earlier, she truly did not think she could kill Stefan. He was too good, too pure, and he tried harder to be good then any human ever had.

In two days, the problem she called Damon Salvatore would be over.


	13. Epi 213 : The Instrument

**Katherine**  
>Katherine sat in her house, loving the blissful quiet. Life would be so much more fun if humans couldn't talk. Always blabbering on about their thoughts and feelings and lives...it was irritating. Who cares anyway? The next time she picked up a human who blabbered on that much, she would just drink. Right away. They usually stopped talking when a vampire had fangs in their neck.<p>

She'd caught herself thinking about Caroline again. She'd been annoying, and a girl. Katherine found neither of them useful, or tasteful. Quiet men were what she liked. Stefan. He was quiet, and a man, and she'd gotten a nice kiss out of him.

He was hers. She'd known he would be, but yesterday she'd learned that he'd never stopped being hers, even though he might be dating that little girl Elena. He hadn't said anything, but she _knew_. She always knew.

Time to keep her mind on the prize. Katherine needed to keep in mind what she was here, in this miserable little town, for. It would solve all her problems. Every single one of them. And she'd get Damon and Stefan by default.

She was restless. That must be why she kept thinking about that Caroline girl. Vampires don't feel, don't think. Only Stefan did, but she could take care of that when the time came.

Katherine left her little home in search of someone to eat. The neighbors were too easy, and she wanted a challenge. The world was getting so overpopulated, there was no challenge anymore. A century ago, one death would have a huge impact on the community. Now, no one even blinked an eye.

No, the only challenge here would be Damon. Her lovely little Damon. He was so stuck on that Gilbert girl. Even she would be easy, though Katherine had no doubt the Salvatore brothers would be watching her.

In the end, Katherine drained a man coming out to get his mail. She didn't know or care if anyone watched, and she didn't bother cleaning up. Someone would find him sooner or later.

Perhaps she could do something, though. Something that could help her get closer to the prize. But who to pick?

She remembered something Caroline had said. Her mother was...a police officer? _That sounds perfect_, she thought, smiling.

Katherine headed into town again. She wondered into a few shops, looked around the square, then glanced into the Grill. There, at the bar alone, was a blond woman in a police uniform.

She adopted what she hoped was an Elena-like expression; wide, innocent eyes and a worried face. She walked right up to the bar, knowing what she would say to lure the police woman out.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but there's a man out in the alley. I think you should check it out," she tried to look anxious, but it definitely didn't come naturally.

The woman stood up. She looked exactly like her daughter. "What was he doing?"

"He was holding a purse and looking through it." Why did she ask so many questions?

Finally, the woman ran out the side door. Katherine followed, and closed it behind them.

"Where is he?" the woman asked. Katherine stood in front of her and locked eyes.

"You will forget you ever saw me. Tonight, you will break into the library and steal a book called _Legendary Devices of the 1700s_. You will bring it straight to me. Then you will go home, and while you sleep you'll forget everything I've told you to do. You will not talk to anyone. No one can see what you are doing. Do you understand?"

The officer looked dazed. "Yes." Well thank goodness not everyone in this town took vervain with their meals anymore.

With that, they parted. The woman still looked dazed, and she didn't go back inside. Katherine left her quickly, not really caring if anyone saw her, but still wanting to keep the image of Elena.

While she walked home, Katherine remembered the first time she'd heard of the book.

It had been in 1864, the year everything big had happened in this town. Pearl almost never left her side, and neither did the Salvatore brothers. By day, she worked her magic and learned all the town had to offer. At night, she gave some time to her two favorite brothers.

Jonathan Gilbert had always been talking about his inventions back then. When Pearl was around, he liked to boast about what he knew. Part of the reason why Katherine kept her around was for that reason. Jonathan tended to talk less about nonsense when she was around.

One day he'd been talking about a instrument he heard about in an old book. At first Katherine didn't listen, because it really wasn't necessary around Jonathan. But the word "vampire" caught her attention.

"I'm sorry, can you please repeat that Mr. Gilbert?" she asked politely.

"Miss Pierce, I was talking about this wonderful device I read about. Truly fantastic! Extraordinary in what it claims to do. You see, a brilliant scientist who lived in Mystic Falls in 1739 invented an instrument. Brilliant though he was, he never told anyone what it would do until he reached a very ripe age. He claimed he was a _vampire_. Poor man had gone round the loop I'm afraid!"

"What does it do, Mr. Gilbert?" Pearl asked, earning a smile of gratitude from Katherine.

"Well, my dear, it gives powers to vampires! Why anyone would spend so much time on something that would only work on mythical creatures is beyond me, but you must agree it's brilliant!"

"What kind of powers?" Katherine asked.

"It gives vampires the power to control other vampires! Is that not the most interesting thing you've heard?"

"Oh yes Mr. Gilbert," Katherine purred. "Did the book tell where it is?"

"Oh, well." Jonathan thought for a moment. "I believe it said that he buried it in Mystic Falls. Under 'a place of much magical activity'. I'm not sure where that is, but my goodness, how interesting!"

"Quite," Pearl answered.

Of course, Katherine hadn't known where 'a place of much magical activity' was until recently. She'd come back with an idea, and her spy had confirmed it. Katherine's spy truly was the only human on Earth she could stand.

The only reason she didn't go after the instrument sooner was because she knew so little about it. Magical items tended to have things protecting it, or rules on who could get it. She knew neither, but the book would tell everything she needed.

The instrument she was after, the reason she was back in Mystic Falls, lay under the tomb ruins, and the only thing in her way was that book.


	14. Epi 214 : Saving Each Other

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie knocked on the door, feeling anxious. She was a little nervous, but that was more about taking down a vampire then feeling guilty. Damon was a problem that she was going to fix. It really was that simple.<p>

The door opened, and Bonnie braced herself. Elena was the one who stood in the doorway, with Damon right behind her. She resisted the urge to arch an eyebrow. Either he was being very protective, or Bonnie had interrupted something.

What was Elena doing there anyway? Wasn't Jeremy getting out of the hospital? Shouldn't she be with him, not doing who-knows-what with the Salvatore brothers?

She forced herself to smile. "Hi, Elena."

Elena looked surprised as she said, "Bonnie, what are you doing here?"

"Actually, I'm here to see Damon." Elena's eyes widened, and Damon gave her a suspicious look. She moved her unwilling gaze to Damon. "Can we talk outside? Do you mind?"

He considered for a moment, then called Stefan over his shoulder. "Take care of her," he murmured to his brother, referring to Elena. What was going on here? Stefan nodded to Bonnie, and she managed to give a small smile in return.

Damon followed Bonnie outside, far away from where Stefan could hear them. She looked him in the eye seriously, then said the only thing she could think of that would make him follow her. "I saw Katherine by the tomb."

"You did?" She nodded. "So you know she's back then." Actually, she hadn't known that. It explained a lot. Maybe if she somehow failed, Katherine would take him away anyway. Bonnie could always hope.

"Yeah, I know she's back. If you don't hurry she might hurt Sheriff Forbes, I heard Katherine talking about her." All of this was, of course, a lie. But Bonnie was proud of herself for being so convincing. Damon bought it all.

"Stay here," he murmured to her.

"I can take care of myself," she reminded him. He didn't care if she came, all he wanted was Katherine.

They set off into the forest, and soon found the tomb. "Where did you say she was?" he asked, looking around.

This was the moment. Bonnie picked up the bottle of water she'd hidden behind a tree, and got ready to work some magic.

**Elena**  
>Elena was tired of being watched all the time. She knew it was all for her protection, but Damon was so serious that he followed her <em>everywhere<em>. He insisted on checking the rooms before she went into them, he never let her out of his sight. If he was going to be gone for just a few seconds, he asked Stefan to watch her.

Stefan was much more relaxed with her. They talked, whereas Damon was always glancing around the room. Stefan looked into her eyes, didn't look away, and tried to make her calm rather then uptight.

Damon had been watching her when Bonnie came. She'd run for the door, ignoring Damon's protests to let _him_ answer the door. Honestly, if it were Katherine, would she really knock?

What was weirder then Bonnie's sudden appearance was the request to talk to Damon. She hated Damon, and they all knew it. She blamed him for Grams death.

When Damon and Bonnie had left the house, Stefan led Elena back into the big room with all the chairs and sofas.

"I wonder why Bonnie's here?" she mused out loud.

"Probably to follow up on her threat."

"What threat?" she demanded.

"Bonnie asked me to make sure Damon didn't drink any innocent blood. She threatened to kill him if he did."

Elena glanced behind her. "Did he? Drink human blood?"

"No," Stefan assured her. "He's been with us or hunting Katherine ever since Bonnie made the request."

If she wasn't there to kill Damon, then what was she there for? Elena realized Bonnie had no idea Katherine was back.

"I need to tell Bonnie something," she said quickly, jumping up and leaving Stefan behind.

The yard was empty, but Elena saw Damon and Bonnie going into the forest ahead. She followed them, knowing she shouldn't, but unwilling to let it go. She had a feeling this was not good.

They all stopped in the clearing where the tomb was. Elena shivered, remembering. But they were gone now.

While Damon looked around, Elena watched Bonnie. Her friend moved towards a tree when Damon asked, "Where did you say she was?"

All at once, Elena realized what was happening. Bonnie hadn't known Katherine was back, and when she found Matt she'd jumped to conclusions. Bonnie thought Damon had attacked. So she'd brought him here to kill him. There was some water hidden behind the tree, and Elena knew what it would be used for.

She burst out of the bushes.

**Damon**  
>"Bonnie, stop!"<p>

Both Damon and Bonnie spun around to face the intruder. It was Elena, of course. _Why can't she just do as she's told?_ Damon thought. Though Elena was watching Bonnie with angry eyes, Damon moved closer.

"Katherine's here," he muttered.

"Stop moving," Bonnie commanded him. He stopped and studied her face. Suddenly it all made sense. The water she held in her hand, Elena's words, the lack of Katherine. Bonnie was planning on killing him.

Unfortunately, Damon couldn't go after the witch. She could kill him before he even reached her, and it would hurt Elena. His instincts told him to protect Elena, but he didn't think Bonnie would hurt her. For once, Damon had no power. His life rested in the hands of Elena and Bonnie.

"Bonnie, you don't know what you're doing," Elena tried to explain.

"Elena, he's a killer. He attacked Matt and kidnapped Caroline."

"No, Bonnie, he didn't. That was Katherine. She's back, and she did those things. I've been with Damon the past couple of days, and there's no way he could have killed anyone." Elena's eyes pleaded.

"I know you don't see it, but Damon is not what you think he is. I'm protecting you, even if you don't know it. I'm helping the town. Even if he didn't attack Matt and Caroline, he's still a problem. I need to do this before he hurts people."

Elena looked at Damon, and her eyes filled with tears. "Bonnie, _please_. I'm begging you. Don't do this. You don't know him like I do. Damon's a good person, he does good things! Sometimes he does bad things but it's always for a good reason." Bonnie was shaking her head. "Please," Elena repeated.

Bonnie looked at Elena, then Damon. Finally, she put the water in a bag. Before she left, she said, "My threat still stands."

Once she was gone, Damon went over to Elena, who was watching Bonnie still. She was breathing hard and her heart was beating fast. When he touched her arm, she looked at him with her wide, dark eyes. Before he could say anything, she hugged him.

Damon could feel her shaking a little, so he reached his arms around and hugged her back. Elena felt so good in his arms.

**Elena**  
>Elena had hugged him, head still filled with horrible images of what could have happened. She melted a little when his arms went around her. It was cold, she was exhausted, and she was so happy he was safe. It filled her with a light, golden feeling.<p>

They pulled back a little, still keeping their arms around each other. Elena needed to feel that he was all right, and she knew he felt the same. Her heart was still beating fast, but also very strong. If her ribs weren't in the way, it might have popped out.

As they stared at one another, Elena felt the same feelings come back that she'd felt a few days before, when Damon had been holding her shoulders. It was heady and powerful, thrilling and just a little bit frightening.

She continued shivering while their gaze grew more intimate. Damon slowly leaned down, and before she could think, Elena pressed her lips against his.

The kiss was passionate and sweet, hot and cold. She couldn't think which way was up, and which was down. She forgot how to breathe, where they were and what time it was. Nothing mattered besides the kiss.

When they pulled away, Elena felt like she'd dived in the river. She was suddenly cold and gasping. As her thoughts came rushing back, she remembered Stefan. She felt guilty, but didn't regret it, and that made her more guilty.

Damon caught her eyes once, and all the breath left Elena again.

"We should go back," he suggested. It was dark out, darker then it had been when Bonnie was leaving. Elena felt herself nod, and surprised herself by walking. She wasn't quite sure how she managed it, because her legs were shaking so badly.

They didn't hold hands, but Damon walked close. Whether that was because of what just happened or because Katherine was still around, she didn't know. Did it make any difference? Did she want it to?

Elena entered the Salvatore mansion with very confused feelings, and she realized now that she was more like Katherine then anyone had thought.


	15. Epi 215 : We Who Love

**Elena**  
>When Elena felt too full, she turned to her diary. She'd had one ever since she was little, and had first been learning to write. Most of the really old ones had been lost over the years, but she still had a few.<p>

The ones she had were at home, as was her current diary. Though it felt wrong, she used a piece of paper instead. Once she got writing, she didn't care if it wasn't a diary. Everything was pouring out of her, all of the anger, guilt, love.

Damon hadn't talked to her since the kiss. He still watched her, but with the eyes of a protector instead of a friend or someone who loved her. He was backing off a little with the protection, preferring to circle the house rather then sit in the same room as Elena. She still wasn't sure how she felt about it. Everything had grown so _complicated_.

Stefan still didn't know, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She wasn't ashamed, but how could she explain something she didn't even understand? Besides, he'd been distracted lately.

As she wrote, Elena thought about when she'd first met Stefan. Everything had been so complicated, first with the secrets then with being a vampire. But she still remembered their first kiss, and the words he'd said to her.

The way she felt about Stefan was everlasting. She knew it wouldn't change, even if they lived an eternity. He was always kind to her, always caring and selfless. They were two similar people, and she admired the strength he had every day. Stefan always chose the right thing to do, even if it would be hard. She couldn't ask for a more patient and understanding person.

He cared about her just as much as she cared about him. He helped her out when her burdens were too much, and let her take control the rest of the time. She liked him, everything about him. She'd loved him for a long time, and she liked to think they were meant for each other.

But with the happiness and joy he'd brought her, there was also secrets. A past. He could be dangerous, and he wasn't always in control. Sometimes he gave up to soon, and sometimes he tried to protect her without her permission.

Stefan was, mentally, her other half. Everything she could ever want and hope to get.

Damon affected her physically more then anyone else in the world. The fire that burned in his soul also burned in hers. He thought she was better then he was, but she knew he was wrong. Elena had done things in her life she wasn't proud of, and Damon understood that better then anyone else. She loved him, too, as hard as it was to admit. It wasn't an instant love, or even an easy one. Their personalities naturally clashed, but that was a good thing. It helped them both grow.

The passion and intensity Damon brought to her life was a double edged sword. Both of them thought they were always right, so they argued and fought. Damon didn't keep anything from Elena, but sometimes she needed to be protected from information. He used people for his own agendas, and was single minded in getting his goals.

Elena figured there was three parts to herself. Mental, physical, and emotional. Stefan was her true love mentally. Damon was her twin flame physically. Emotionally, she was half and half. Neither owned that part of her, but either could.

She knew her life would be full and happy with either, but never both. She might have the same problems Katherine did, but the choices she was making separated them. Katherine had been greedy and wanted to possess both, while Elena knew there could be nothing more selfish. She had to choose, or she wouldn't have either.

The problem was that she didn't _know_. She couldn't choose! As well as she knew them both, as much as she cared for each of them, her decision was still foggy and unclear.

Elena finished her diary entry. She read it over once, then knew exactly what she had to do. No one would be happy, not even her. But it was true, and fair, and just. She would always love them both, and it would never be enough.

She folded the paper and stuck it in her pocket. The next hour would possibly be the worst of her life, and she needed something that was from the era she was in now, the one where two men loved her dearly and she returned their love.

Elena climbed the stairs slowly, remembering the time she'd climbed it with Stefan before having sex. She'd been so sure of what she wanted back then.

She knocked on Stefan's door, then opened it. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, and she sat down beside him, not touching. Her heart beat madly, but it was painful this time. She was struggling to breathe right. Her heart seemed to be swelling.

"Stefan." He looked over at her. Elena found she couldn't hold his eyes, so she looked at her nervous hands instead. "I've...never been good at this kind of stuff... These past few months have been some of the best of my life. I don't regret a moment of them. And you didn't do anything wrong...but I can't do this anymore." Her voice broke, and she bit her lip carefully, not nearly hard enough to draw blood.

"I don't understand," he said slowly.

Elena felt her eyes fill and her breathing became harder to maintain. "I know, and I'm not explaining it right. It's not fair to you if I keep doing this." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "I love you, Stefan, but I love Damon, too. I won't be like Katherine, but I can't choose, either. This way is better for you, for both of you." A few tears rolled down her face at Stefan's heartbroken eyes. He was going to try and talk her out of it, she knew.

Before Stefan could say anything more, the door opened again and Damon came in. This was too much for Elena, who's breathing was out of control. Stefan handed her a tissue, and she tried to wipe her eyes, but the tears were quickly replaced.

Damon didn't sit. His face was incredulous, and he moved to stand in front of Elena. For a few moments, no one said anything. The only sound was Elena's labored breathing and rapid heartbeat.

Finally, Damon asked, "Why are you doing this?" His tone and eyes were angry, but his expression was one of confusion.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Elena got out.

"Who cares?" Damon asked, his face betraying him. "Who cares what's wrong and what's right? What do you want, Elena?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, I can't choose. But this is the only way that makes sense." She tried wiping her face again. She stood, and both Salvatore brother's eyes followed her. Elena ran down the stairs before she had to stop. Sobs were coming, and she needed to get out while she had the chance.

Before she could get into the hall where the door was, Damon appeared. "Elena, you don't want to do this."

She nodded. "You're right, I don't. But I have to." She tried to get to the door, but Damon was too fast. "Let me out Damon." She tried to glare, but it was ruined by the river of tears.

He looked into her eyes, and for once she didn't feel that overwhelming feeling. Everything she felt was pain. There was no getting away from it. Without another word, he opened the door, and Elena fled into the early dawn.


	16. Epi 216 : That Which Defines Us

**Tyler**  
>Tyler twitched uncontrollably. He'd been doing it all night, and it had only been getting worse. He'd tried working out, eating, relaxing, and finally taking a long shower, but nothing was helping.<p>

Finally, Tyler just lay in his bed. Nothing was helping or working, so why even bother? Why put energy into something that wasn't worth it anyway?

With untold amounts of energy buzzing around his veins, he got up again. Suddenly, Tyler was angry. Angry with the world. His father for being such a rotten person. His mother for crying over a husband who wasn't worth it. Himself for not being able to fix the twitching problem.

He walked over to his desk and picked up a nearly empty glass cup. Without thought, Tyler threw it against the wall so that it shattered. It calmed his mind, but enraged his body.

Suddenly he couldn't stand to be inside anymore. He just couldn't. The twitching was getting worse by the second. A ringing noise in his ears was so loud that he couldn't hear his mother's crying anymore. He opened the front door and slammed it, but still couldn't hear a thing.

It was a cloudy night in Mystic Falls. Warm, but dark. The moon was covered, but Tyler knew instinctively what it would look like. A full moon.

Sure enough, the thin clouds eventually blew away. Tyler, who was breathing hard and fast, got his first glimpse of the large moon.

The same moment he saw it, Tyler's spasms went into overdrive. He fell to the ground when his legs wouldn't support him. It felt as though something was crawling along his spine, spreading. By the time it reached his head, Tyler was crying out in pain. It hurt so much he couldn't think.

Whatever had climbed his spine was slowly spreading along all of his bones. It was fire and ice, both extreme and painful. Everything ached. Even where the grass lightly touched his arms, it burned. Tyler was surrounded in a cocoon of just wanting it to go away...

Finally, it reached his toes and fingers. Just when he thought it was over, a sudden pain in his chest made him cry out again. It was clawing it's way out. Whatever it was, it was going to destroy him.

Tyler finally, blissfully, passed out.

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie sat on her bed, meditating. She'd learned it from Grams, and it was suppost to help her powers become stronger. She didn't know if it really helped, but anything suggested by Grams was worth trying.<p>

She'd recently discovered that meditating helped her connect to the world around her. There was no way to explain it, or how she controlled it. She just knew. She could focus on people's energy, their life and soul, then get a general sense of what they were feeling.

Thinking of Elena, she felt a stabbing despair. Usually she just got a small taste of what people were feeling, nothing strong at all. But Elena's hurt made Bonnie feel pain too. It was that strong.

Bonnie pulled away, and back into herself. Her clock read 6:34am. It was funny how time slipped away when she was meditating. What seemed like minutes was in fact hours. And she always woke up feeling rested.

This time, she did feel rested, but also hurt. A small piece of Elena's emotions still lingered, and Bonnie wondered at the amount of force it must have had. Nothing like this had ever happened.

Though Bonnie was worried for her friend, she also knew it wasn't Katherine or anyone dangerous. Those feelings were very different, and they changed rapidly. Elena's was one long line of the same emotion.

It was too early to bother Elena, so Bonnie decided to meditate some more. She tried Matt, then Caroline, and finally Tyler.

Something was wrong with Tyler, too. She couldn't get a read on him. Nothing. He was there, she could sense he was there, but it was like he was hollow. There was nothing inside.

It reminded Bonnie faintly of the times she'd tried to read Stefan and Damon. Even that was different, though. There she had no sense of them existing. It was the same as searching something and finding no results. Tyler had a link, but there was nothing there.

With curiosity driving her, Bonnie drove to the place where she'd felt Tyler. Along with the emotions always came a sense of where they were. Tyler was in the middle of a forest, which was all she could get from him. Even that was more vague then normal.

She found the place that felt right, then parked. "Tyler?" she called. There was no answer, but a bush rustled nearby. She walked towards it, saying "Tyler?" again.

Though her body knew immediately what was going on, Bonnie's mind was having a hard time with it. She jumped back without thinking, meanwhile wondering what had happened to Tyler.

He was laying on the ground behind some rocks, with his head and bare shoulders showing. She instinctively knew he was naked, and she blushed. What was Tyler Lockwood doing in the forest naked at 7 in the morning?

Werewolf, some part of her whispered. No, that was silly. Of course Tyler wasn't a werewolf! He was the mayor's son!

Then Bonnie remembered the crash. Caroline and Matt had told the police that Tyler was freaking out over some unknown sound, the same sound that had been affecting all the vampires. She knew he wasn't a vampire because of the meditation. So he had to be something else, right?

Tyler being a werewolf made some sense. She couldn't get a feeling on him because he'd been a wolf when she'd tried, but he was still part human.

But she'd known him her whole life! He'd never turned into a wolf. She could think of many times when they were all kids and had decided to play under a full moon.

What other explanation was there? The proof was right in front of Bonnie, but she didn't want to see it. She had enough problems dealing with Damon and vampires. Besides...Tyler was her friend. Even if he had hurt anyone, could she really destroy him the same way she'd meant to destroy Damon?

Bonnie had no idea what the answer was, but it really wasn't important at the moment. Tyler was waking up, and how was she supposed to explain her presence? She hadn't thought to bring any clothes...

"Hey," she called, letting him know she was there.

He looked over. "Hey." He seemed to realize he wasn't wearing anything. Bonnie spun around so she was facing the other way, deciding to devote her time to finding something he could wear. There wasn't much.

"Um...I've got a jacket," she told him without looking.

"Any pants?"

Bonnie blushed, and kept looking. She almost laughed. "There's a cheerleading skirt."

Tyler didn't say anything for a few moments, then sighed. "Fine, but you can't laugh."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She tried to hold it in. The mental images were hilarious.

"You can look." Bonnie turned around and had to pinch herself in order to not laugh. Tyler in a cheerleading skirt and a purple jacket was something everyone should see.

She gave him a ride home, without asking anything. He would explain in his own time.

**Jenna**  
>Jenna sat in Ric's apartment thinking about Jeremy, who was upstairs. They'd brought him home from the hospital, but he hadn't talked to anyone. She asked him to do a few things, and he did them without comment.<p>

It was eerie. So unlike Jeremy. She worried, naturally. But soon she'd come up with an explanation and a way to solve it.

"Jeremy, can you please come down here for a moment?" He arrived and sat down when she motioned to the chairs.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly. Ric was busy with other things, but she wanted Jeremy to know that everything he said would be kept between them.

He shook his head. She continued, "I'm not mad, Jer. I know how much you've been going through. I probably would have done the same thing at your age." He looked up. Jenna's heart gave a small squeeze, because his eyes were so full of grief.

"Jeremy, I love you. There is nothing you could ever do that would change that. I'll always be here for you." She took a breath. Now would be the time she'd have to be careful. "Did you really want to become a vampire? Would you try again if you had a chance to do it over?"

Jeremy thought. "Nah, I don't want to be a vampire. Too much drama." They both grinned. "It was a stupid thing to do."

Jenna noticed his eyes never changed. "I know it will take a while before you're okay again. I'm so sorry that Anna died, Jer. Just know that you have a small army behind you, and we're all here to help."

His eyes shone a little brighter. "Thanks Aunt Jenna. I'll keep that in mind."

He left, and Jenna lay back on the sofa. Maybe she didn't always have to mess up.


	17. Epi 217 : Pure Hearts

**Katherine**  
>Katherine finished draining the young man who'd come selling dictionaries. He was delicious and she temporarily forgot about her struggle to stay hidden. If anyone saw her, the Salvatore brothers would find out, and that would ruin <em>everything<em>.

She'd managed to not think about what she'd seen the day before. Elena, running from the Salvatore mansion. It didn't take a genius to realize what had happened.

But Damon was there, watching from the doorway. And Stefan in his bedroom window. Both had looks of such sorrow on their face. Katherine doubted they had looked like that when she'd been taken away.

Things had changed since 1864, but Katherine would put them back. Stefan was already under her wing, and Damon would soon join her. Elena leaving them both just made the process so much easier, so Katherine had let the girl run from the mansion without harm.

She was so bored of this house. It was large, not grand but still nice. It looked just like every other house in the neighborhood. There was nothing to do here but attack people who came to her door. Had the most exciting thing in her life become draining humans? Impossible. It was time to change that.

Maybe her spy would have some new information.

Before any plans were necessary, someone knocked on the door. Katherine answered it, not hungry but willing to drink more. It was that sheriff woman, the one she'd compelled.

"You have the book?" she asked. It had taken longer then expected.

"Yes." She handed it over, and Katherine looked at it's cover. Without a word, she closed the door, knowing the woman would walk home, sleep, and forget everything.

Now _this_ was exciting. She was closer to the Instrument.

She read through it, being careful with the pages. The book was from the 18th century, and it looked the part. She finally found the chapter that mentioned it.

No one had ever named the Instrument, but it was rumored to give vampires the power to control other vampires. It was buried under 'a place of much magical activity'... Oh, this was interesting.

At first glance, the rule of who could get the Instrument were infuriating. How was she going to do this?

But nothing could take her down for long. Within minutes, she'd thought through the rest of her plan. It was perfect, gave her everything she wanted. The time for hiding was reaching it's end, and soon she would take action. It had to work. It _would_ work.

There was just a few simple rules and guidelines for getting the Instrument. They had to be a vampire and pure of heart, which was nearly impossible because vampires, by nature, were most definitely not pure of heart.

Besides that, Katherine learned that whoever got the Instrument out would die.

**Stefan**  
>Stefan had thought of nothing else but Elena since she'd left. He knew Damon was doing the same thing downstairs. Every so often he heard sounds that made him believe his brother was drinking.<p>

Elena had been so upset when she'd left, and so conflicted before. She loved Damon, he knew. He'd known for a while. But she had truely believed she loved only Stefan, so he hadn't pushed her or asked the reasons why.

It was understandable in a way. Damon and Elena had a connection he would never have, and no one could fault Elena for that. He wished things were different, but that didn't change anything.

Stefan had felt guilty ever since he rescued Caroline. Sure, he could put on a tough face for Damon, but he knew Elena saw right through him. She didn't know the problem, but she'd tried to talk to him anyway.

Was that another reason she'd left? Because he'd been so distant? Had Damon told her anything?

Stefan knew Damon hadn't, just like he knew something had happened a few days ago between Elena and Damon. She was human, still growing and learning, and he wouldn't blame her for that. How could he? She was warm and trusting. Even to the wrong people.

Stefan's thoughts turned to Katherine. She was on his mind a lot lately, just to pass the time and forget about Elena for a while. His feelings for her weren't healthy. He had been the one to turn her in, and Katherine was the type of person to do the same back to him, no matter the consequences. If it was discovered that the Salvatore brothers were vampires, the town would destroy itself. People would turn on each other, and Elena would be stuck on the losing side.

He needed to forget Katherine. Leave her in his past where she belonged. If he continued feeling this way, she would take him down with her. That's what she did last time by making Damon and Stefan into vampires.

Why was it so hard to get rid of these feelings? Even though he had told himself so many times over the past century that he was over her, all the old feelings had come back when he'd kissed her. Her eyes and smile had clearly told him that she was well aware of the way he was feeling right then.

Stefan thought about all the lives Katherine had ruined. He remembered Damon after loosing her twice. He remembered John, lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He recalled Elena's face, so sure except the eyes, which were terrified. He thought of all the headlines from the past century and a half, always blaming animals for Katherine's kills.

It wasn't hard to rid himself of feelings after remembering all of that. He looked down at his ring, a constant reminder of the life Katherine had destroyed for him. She was the reason he had to live this way, had to hurt others to live. As long as he thought of that, she had no power over him.


	18. Epi 218 : Deciding Fate

**Tyler**  
>Tyler sat in his room alone, <em>again<em>. The time in which he had turned into a werewolf was still blurry, and he couldn't remember much. Just the pain at first, then a thick black mist that he could only see blotches of color in, and finally waking up in the forest with Bonnie watching him.

He'd been obsessively watching the news for anything about animal attacks. There was only one person dead in a nearby city, but that was from a shooting. They didn't report anything out of the ordinary, and slowly Tyler relaxed.

After Bonnie had picked him up, she'd driven them to his house, where they found the clothes Tyler had been wearing in shreds. She'd been nice to him, giving him her number in case he started to feel weird again. In the meantime, she told him, she'd look through old books to find a cure.

Tyler still got dizzy every time he thought of himself being a werewolf. Could it really be possible? If werewolves existed, then what about vampires and witches? Why did werewolves exist? How did it get started?

Of course, there was no one around to answer his questions. The only person who possibly could know something was dead.

His door opened and in walked his mother. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she was standing tall. He wasn't sure she knew how to stand any other way. In her hands was a small book, possibly a journal.

She gave him a small smile. He didn't bother returning it. "I know you probably hate your father," she began.

"Yeah, I do." Tyler was angry at his father for not being there the one time he really needed him. Why hadn't he ever told Tyler?

She gave him a look that made him think she could see though his attitude. "I know nothing I can say will change that, but I want you to know that the answers to all your questions are in here." She handed him the journal. Tyler flipped it open and saw his father's handwriting. "It was his, and he told me to give it to you when you were ready."

Tyler didn't look up when she left. How was a bunch of pages going to fix everything? It couldn't. Nothing could take back the life he'd known for seventeen years.

Regardless of what he thought, Tyler looked through the journal. It spanned from about a month before he was born until the day he died. It was filled with everything from information about a Founders Council to the days he turned into a wolf. A few pages were letters addressed to Tyler, apologizing for the secrets and anger.

He read it for hours, late into the night. By the time he'd finished, he knew the answers to every one of his questions, and a few he hadn't even thought about. Some of it was hard to read and other parts were full of relief, but all of it was important.

Finally he understood the reasons for all of his father's actions. He knew more about the town then most people, and he'd finally solved the mystery of the noise which had made him crash the car. All of it made sense.

After thinking about everything he'd learned for another hour, Tyler discovered that he forgave his father.

**Elena**  
>Elena had spent the past few days in the empty Gilbert house. Jenna and Jeremy were still staying at Alaric's because they thought their house wasn't Katherine-proof. Though she didn't know how much time had passed since she'd run through the door sobbing, no one had come for her yet. Bonnie was the only person who knew she was there, and that was because of some witch-meditating thing. The only thing she did before Elena asked her to leave was to protect the house again from all vampires.<p>

Elena Gilbert, once one of the most respected people at Mystic Falls High School, had definitely seen better times. She went around the house in an oversized gray t-shirt. Really, she preferred not to leave the safety of Jenna's room. It was the only room in the house without painful memories. She hoped Jenna wouldn't mind.

Day after day, Elena sat in the darkness. She fell asleep when tired, which was all the time. Sometimes she woke up, remembered Bonnie had put the spell back up, and panicked. She worried that Stefan or Damon would come looking for her but they wouldn't be able to get in. Then she remembered, and banished all thoughts.

She remembered once telling Jenna that she wasn't one of those girls who would fall apart when her boyfriend left her. Well she had certainly fallen apart, though she was the one who had broken up with the boys.

Elena curled up in the sheets. They still smelled like Jenna, and she liked the feeling that Jenna was with her, comforting her. But she couldn't be comforted. She had no idea how to be okay.

The phone rang downstairs, shrill and loud. Everyone she knew was either in a hospital, busy being supernatural, or thought she was still...somewhere else. Instead of using the energy that could be used to keep herself together, Elena just let it ring. Somehow, she could still hear the answering machine.

"Elena? It's Bonnie. I know you're going through a really hard time right now, but it would be good for you to get out of the house. Meet me at Lucy's in two hours. Actually, I'll pick you up. You probably shouldn't drive. So just get ready, okay? Love you."

Elena considered her choices. She could either a) get dressed and go with Bonnie without a fuss, or b) wait two hours and have Bonnie use her mother-tone until Elena got ready. She choose a. It would be good for her to go somewhere that wouldn't remind her of _him_ and _him_. On the other hand, it would be hard to keep herself together for that long. Bonnie wouldn't judge, though.

She pulled on some old jeans and a plain black shirt. Brushing her hair took a while, but eventually she got it somewhat straight. She brushed on some minimal consealer. Though Elena tried not to see herself too clearly in the mirror, a glimpse here and there couldn't be helped.

Her face was pale, or at least she thought it was. The skin around her eyes was a little puffy and red, but the consealer had helped that. Her hair seemed to have lost some of it's shine, and the lack of care had made it fuzzy. Her lips were lifeless and seemed to perminately droop. She looked thin. The clothes she was wearing used to fit, and now they were a little loose.

Last she saw her eyes. They were so full of sadness and loss that she couldn't bear to look at them long. They were stuck in her memory, though. They told of the helpless feeling inside of her, of the guilt and regret. There was so much of that, of regret, that she didn't know how anyone could hold it all.

When Bonnie arrived on time, Elena followed her careful friend out the doors of safety and back into the cruel world.

She ignored the alarmed looks Bonnie sent her way. Everything was so bright and familiar it took her breath away. It was too bright and familiar. These were old, happy memories, the ones she ran away from.

They drove outside of town, to a little restaurant called Lucy's. Bonnie ordered coffee for both of them, but Elena didn't drink hers. She had no idea why it was so hard to function.

Bonnie knew her well enough not to ask how she was. She knew what Elena could answer without breaking down, and what she couldn't. Instead of wasting time with questions she knew the answer to, Bonnie just got right to the point.

"You know how I feel about them," she said everything quietly and slowly. "But Elena, I can't stand to see you like this."

"I can't choose, and I won't be like Katherine," Elena said dully.

"Elena, this obviously isn't what's good for you. If it was, if you knew in your heart you'd done the right thing, wouldn't you feel better?" She had a point, but Elena knew she would be broken no matter what she'd done. Either she'd choose but missed the other, or she did this.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. You matter. They matter. You matter to them, and they to you. I'm not saying I understand everything, but it's easy to see this wasn't the right thing to do." Bonnie held one of Elena's hands in hers on top of the table, and gave her a small, sad smile. "Go fix it."

They didn't talk anymore, but Elena thought while they drove back. Maybe it wasn't easy or right, a human girl being loved and loving two vampires. Maybe it was horribly awful and wrong. But one thing she knew was that it was true. It was her fate,_ they_ were her destiny. She was meant to be with one of them, and it was pointless to think otherwise. She wasn't sure which one it was, but she had her entire life to find out.

She could do this fairly, or she could continue lying to herself. They were part of her, and always would be.

So was she, Elena Gilbert, to go against everything right and true in the world?


	19. Epi 219 : Possessed

**Matt**  
>Matt Donovan sat on the couch with Caroline, watching some movie she'd picked out. He couldn't pay attention for more then a few seconds. He thought it was about frogs...oh, but they talked...maybe talking frogs.<p>

The only person on Matt's mind was Tyler. He wasn't returning calls, and no one had heard from him since the car accident. Matt would be worried that something was wrong, but Bonnie had reassured him the other day that she'd seen him. No, she didn't remember where, but he looked fine. A little sad, maybe, but that was understandable.

Matt knew what it was like to loose a father, even though his probably wasn't dead. Part of him wanted to help Tyler get through it, but he also understood the issue of pride and doing things on your own. Tyler wouldn't ask for anyone's help, though he might need it.

Soon, he would go over and see if Tyler was alright. He would help in any way he could, even if Tyler couldn't know. Just a few comments here and there. In the meantime, he would sit and hope Tyler could push though on his own.

**Katherine**  
>She knew who to play, when to do it, and where everything would take place. Katherine was ready to finally show her hand. Everything was ready. She knew the plan, and nothing would go wrong. In just a few days she would leave Mystic Falls with what she came for.<p>

Katherine could be patient when she wanted to be. There was no reason to rush. Rushing would only make her sloppy, and she couldn't afford that. Not when she was so close, and in so deep. Everything she'd worked for was happening.

She sensed someone at the door before they knocked. She'd sent her spy out earlier to go see where everyone was and make sure everything was ready.

She let the girl in. Though Katherine never compelled her, the girl always did as she asked. She had a look about her, too, which suggested compulsion. At first she'd thought the girl must be working with the Salvatore brothers, but it was soon apparent that she wasn't.

"Tell me everything," she murmured, sitting down. The girl followed, acting rather prim. But Katherine was used to that.

"Damon and Stefan have not left their mansion since Elena left. She is still at her house, but it is protected now."

"Good." Katherine smiled at nothing in particular, then bounced up. She was too pleased to be sitting down. Many men had fallen to both her fury and joyfulness. She was a passionate person, always living her existence to the fullest. No need to waste a day moping around when there is _always_ someone to drink or play with.

While Katherine moved around the house getting ready for a night out, the girl just sat, hands still folded on her lap. She acted and talked just like she'd lived in the 1800's, but dressed for the present. She wasn't a vampire, but Katherine didn't dare drain her toy.

Finally, she left. "Let yourself out," she called back. Those Bennett girls had always been strange. Katherine was lucky to have her.

**Emily/Bonnie  
><strong>Emily Bennett's soul sat in a dark room, trapped inside the body of her 17-year-old ancestor. Suddenly, she gasped, and Bonnie Bennett looked around, wondering where she was and how she'd gotten there.


	20. Epi 220 : Battle Lines

**Elena**  
>Elena followed the same path she'd used when running away from the house, only this time she was moving towards it. She wasn't sure what to expect or what she'd walk in on, but she knew now what a huge mistake she'd made. Even if they couldn't forgive her, she still needed to try.<p>

The Salvatore mansion came into view, and she suddenly smiled in a way she hadn't for a long time. A rush of feeling came over her, but it was full of sunlight and happiness. After so many days of pain and hurt, it felt amazing.

The closer she got, the more she wanted to run away. No, this was not a good idea. They probably hated her. But...she'd come this far. The point of no return had been passed long ago.

Biting her lip, Elena knocked softly. She had the feeling of being much younger and running away from home, only to come back a week later after missing her family terribly.

The door opened finally, and Stefan saw her. They both stared at each other for a bit, and Elena knew the awe and apologies were written all over her face.

"Hi." She smiled a little.

"Hello." Stefan walked out and shut the door behind him. "What... What are you doing here?"

She took a deep breath. "I made a huge mistake. I was so afraid of doing the same thing Katherine did to you, and I didn't want that. But I can't run from this. I can't run because you, both of you, are a part of me. I love you, Stefan."

Stefan smiled a little, and Elena grinned in response. Had she known the first day of school that her actions would lead to this? No, but she didn't for one second regret it.

"I love you, Elena." Oh, the way he said her name felt so good. Stefan folded her into his arms, and she held him tightly. "Can we go for a walk?"

"Sure." Whatever he wanted, wherever he went, she would be there. By his side.

They walked a ways, keeping out of the forest. Stefan held her hand, and she never wanted him to let go. She missed this, missed him.

"I understand why you left, Elena. I should have known that things would get complicated, and you would be stuck in the middle. It's not fair to let you choose. Whatever happens, just be happy, and know I will always love you."

She thought, then spoke slowly. "I know that, and I'm sorry I don't have an answer or the perfect solution, but I'm still not sure who I'll choose. It could take some time, and I'm so sorry in advance for every time I hurt you."

"It's okay." He smoothed her hair while she leaned against him. "I can make you happy, and you wouldn't have to change for me. You know that."

As they walked back up to the house, Elena thought about everything he'd said. He did make her happy, and they were already perfectly suited for each other. Well, almost perfectly. She knew there was a fire in her that, she hated to admit it, Stefan couldn't touch. What would happen to it? What would happen to her if it went out?

Stefan left her at the door, explaining about some thing that needed to be checked. Elena appreciated his understanding about what she needed to do, but she was apprehensive about Damon. With Stefan, the sun seemed to shine on them. With Damon, a fire engulfed them both from the inside. He had such a control over her, and that scared her a little.

Elena closed the door behind her, then walked into the main room where Damon sat, a half empty glass in his hand. He didn't seem to be drunk, at least.

She waited in the doorway, just watching him. She knew he was aware that she was standing behind him.

"So you're back," he said without looking at her. "What changed your mind?"

She hated it when he was this way. Damon could act like he didn't care, but she knew he did. She remembered his face at the door, right before she'd run off. She would have easily bet that he'd missed her just as much as she'd missed him.

"I thought I could run away from it all, but I can't," she finally told him. Without asking, she walked around the sofa and sat near Damon, not touching, but very close.

"So you've come to deliver the bad news? 'Sorry Damon, but you're too bad for me'?"

"You're not bad, Damon," Elena said. "I can't choose. Not yet."

"So you've come to string us both along?"

Elena snapped. "You can act like you don't care what happened at the tomb, but I know you do."

"Why do you care, Elena? Stefan's always won the girl." He drained whatever was in the glass.

Elena stood up. There was no way she could sit with all this energy. "So you're giving up? Is that it?"

Damon stood up too, but he was much more calm then her. "Are you trying to say that I actually stand a chance against my perfect little brother?"

"Yes." She refused to back up, no matter how close he got. Her heart beat frantically and she felt flushed.

"Elena Gilbert, do you love me?" The question took her breath away, as did his proximity. Their faces were just inches apart.

"Yes," she breathed. She was tired of acting otherwise, tired of feeling like he was the bad brother and she shouldn't love him, like it was wrong.

Before she could register the changes in his expression, Damon kissed her. It was long and slow and very sweet, but it was over too soon.

"Don't make the wrong decision," he whispered, lips moving against hers. Before she could ask what he meant, Damon was gone. Elena was left breathless and confused.

**Jeremy**  
>Jenna and Jeremy finally moved back home. Bonnie had called and told them that the protection was back up, and they'd spent the past day packing up their things from around Alaric's.<p>

Everything in Jeremy's room was so full of pain. Every item had a memory of Anna stamped on it. In the bathroom lay the empty vial with a little red on the bottom and the container which formerly held pain pills. He threw both in the trash, trying not to think.

His new counselor had suggested making new, happy memories in his room. She said it would help erase the bad ones.

How could he make new memories without Anna? She was his happy memory. All the times they'd in his room had been good ones, and the only reason they'd turned bad was because she'd died.

It seemed to Jeremy that the only reason to make the memories good again was to see Anna's death in a good light. He'd known many people who'd died. John, his parents, Vicki, Anna...they would have wanted him to be happy, not start drugs again or mope around or turn into a vampire. Besides, why would he want to be a vampire without Anna?

There was no way Jeremy could survive an eternity without her, and he didn't want to. But for this life, long or short as it may be, he was going to remember Anna and all those he'd known in a good way. He was going to remember the good times they'd had, think of them with love instead of loss.

**Katherine**  
>Katherine was ready. Today would be the first part of her plan, and she was eager for it to begin. There was enough blood in her system to last a week if needed, though she was sure it wouldn't take nearly that long.<p>

She took savage delight in compelling her spy to bring the girl. It took just a few moments of conversation.

At long last, Katherine had moved her pieces. The next move her opponent made would leave the king open, and then they would be in checkmate.

Elena Gilbert, the girl who'd caused so much trouble and stolen the hearts of both Salvatore men from Katherine, was in her grasps at last. With a quick shove into a tree, the annoying girl was unconscious, and the rest of Katherine's plan would fall into place.


	21. Epi 221 : Mending Souls

**Stefan**  
>The hour after Stefan and Damon discovered Elena was missing were some of the worst Stefan could ever remember.<p>

He had returned to the home he's known for over a century, worried about what Damon might have said to her. Would her decision be made?

Instead, he found Damon still sitting exactly where he had been, but Elena was no where to be seen.

"Have you seen Elena?" he asked Damon.

"She just left with Bonnie," Damon answered.

"Did she say where she was going?"

Damon sighed. "Bonnie came, asked if she could talk to Elena outside, and they left. That's all I know." He poured himself another drink.

"She wasn't outside," Stefan said.

"Maybe they went off to talk about boys over coffee," Damon suggested sarcastically.

Stefan decided dealing with his brother was a lost cause, so instead he tried to follow her scent. Ten minutes later, he was sure of what had happened to her.

"Katherine has her," he said, walking to grab a stake from a drawer. You never knew when it might be handy.

"Has who?" Damon asked from the other room, where he still hadn't moved from the sofa.

"Elena." Stefan stalked out the door, fully ready to end the woman he'd once loved.

He had only taken a few steps before the door opened again behind him. Damon was walking out, also holding a stake and looking fully aware of what was going on.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, not stopping.

"I don't know if you've thought this through little brother, but we might just have to kill Katherine."

"Believe me, Damon, I'm fully aware of that."

"And you'll do that for Elena?"

Stefan looked his brother in the eye. "I'd do anything for Elena."

Damon returned his gaze. "Glad we're in agreement, then."

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie was worried about her powers. She was afraid something was wrong. Every once in a while, she would wake up in a place she didn't know. The other day it had been in an unfamiliar house, and just a few hours ago it had been in the woods. Grams had never talked about anything like this happening.<p>

She'd tried everything she could think of to find out what was wrong. Nothing had worked or given her any memories back about how she'd gotten to those places.

Her last idea was to meditate, and focus on herself instead of anyone else. It took a long time to calm her mind down enough to clear it. After that it was just a matter of routine. Instead of extending her mind to others, she pulled it and focused all of her energy.

There was something there, a small wall that was holding something back. She wouldn't have been able to find it any other way, but even now she couldn't see any way around it. She tried throwing thoughts at it, and bursts of energy. When that didn't work, Bonnie used her last store of energy to focus on it in a way she'd never focused on anything before.

Slowly, it went away. When she was exhausted and the wall finally fell, a rush of memories came to her. It was herself, but she felt different. Her thoughts were different, and so were her loyalties. Katherine was the woman she had been helping all these times.

Suddenly it all made sense, but she didn't want to know anymore. She had done awful things that she never would have thought herself capable of. Giving information on Elena, Stefan and Damon's whereabouts, finding books for Katherine, and, her deepest betrayal, delivering Elena. How could she?

It was too much! She couldn't take anymore. Ever since the Founders Day she'd been Emily's puppet. She hadn't remembered anything from the blackouts, but Emily knew everything she did. Emily lived inside her, and the idea scared Bonnie more then anything. She wanted her ancestor_ out_.

First she called the Salvatore house, but no one answered, so she figured they already knew about Elena. She would have gone and helped herself if she hadn't been worried about Emily taking over and making her fight the brothers or hurt Elena.

After that, she called Tyler, the first person she could think of to help. He answered the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Tyler, it's Bonnie. I... I need help."

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"I'll be right there."

It didn't take long, just like he promised. Bonnie was so freaked out, she was almost in tears. She didn't think before throwing her arms around Tyler in a huge hug. He returned it, and she realized how thankful she was for him. He was a safe haven. Her safe haven, or he might be.

"What happened?" he murmured into her ear. After reading his fathers journal, Tyler had been much more at peace, she'd noticed. He understood why everything was happening the way it did, and that made all the difference.

Bonnie explained everything she'd learned and he listened. When she was done, he told her again everything he knew about witches, which she appreciated.

When they were done talking, both were sitting on the side of her bed. Bonnie leaned her head against his shoulder, saying, "Thanks for coming. I'm sorry for freaking out and bothering you."

"It's no problem. I don't mind." She looked up and found his eyes. Their faces inched closer, and Bonnie felt the powerful Bennett blood rush through her veins. When they kissed, it was like..._fireworks_, she thought. She felt an intense connection to him she'd never felt with anyone before.

_The witch and werewolf_, she thought in the passion._ Sounds like a great fairy tale_.


	22. Epi 222 : Fight For Those You Love

**Stefan**  
>Stefan stalked around the house, unable to stay still. He and Damon hadn't been able to find Katherine, and he hoped she wouldn't hurt Elena until giving them a chance to find her. She could be patient when she wanted to be, he knew, and liked to give people a chance to find whoever they were looking for before she killed them.<p>

He was more angry with Katherine then he'd ever been before. The world may be like one giant game of cat and mouse to her, but these were lives she was using. They were people. Playing with Elena's life like a game piece was not okay. If Stefan got his chance, he would destroy Katherine.

He no longer cared why she was back. That was her problem, and it had nothing to do with him. Everything he had, everything he was, Elena owned. He would be her's forever.

The house was no longer big enough to hold his anguish. The quickest way to find Elena would be to keep looking for her. Before he left, Stefan grabbed the stake again, and got a text from Elena's cell phone.

"The game ends where it begins," he read out loud. Where did it begin? The first time they'd meet had been in front of the old Salvatore home, but she wouldn't be talking about that.

Maybe he was thinking about the wrong things. She didn't have to be talking about the beginning. It could be the beginning of...their problems? That was the tomb. The tomb where they'd thought Katherine would be trapped, and where they'd let all of the vampires out. It was his best guess.

**Elena**  
>Elena's hands were tied behind her back, but she wouldn't have tried to run anyway. Not with the way Katherine was watching her every move with hungry eyes that dared her to try something.<p>

They were at the tomb, in the same place where Bonnie and Grams had done the spell. She watched Katherine's every move, so she saw when the other woman sent a text message.

"Won't be long now," she told Elena with a cruel smile.

"What do you want?" Elena asked.

"Power," Katherine told her. Then she asked, "Which one will you choose?"

"I'm not sure yet," Elena answered slowly.

"I know how hard it is. I had to make the decision once, you know."

"You didn't choose. You played them both," Elena hissed.

"At some point in life you learn to take what's given to you." Katherine gave her a dangerous smile, and Elena glared back. "While we're waiting, you really should tell me which one you prefer. Both have their uses, I know, but one is always better then the other."

Elena refused to answer. Katherine pouted for a moment, then regained herself.

"Who's coming and what are you going to make then do?"

Katherine considered. "You'll see soon enough."

Right at that moment, Stefan came into view. Elena gasped at the amount of terror that raced through her veins at the sight of him. Katherine couldn't hurt him. Who would be there to hold her hand between classes? Who would kiss her so sweetly in the morning? Who would hold her when her world was crashing down and the only thing real was him? Could her heart survive this?

Katherine turned to give him a disapproving look. "It's rude to make people wait."

Stefan had eyes for Elena only. When he didn't answer, Katherine grabbed his arm and spun him around so that she had the arm behind him. His other arm was held tightly by Katherine's free hand so that the point of the stake he held touched just above his heart.

"No!" Elena screamed. There had to be something she could do. Anything. She could give her own life to save him. She would find a way.

Katherine grinned, and it held all the charm of a fox. She held Stefan close, and hissed, "If you want to save her, open the chest. Take out the Instrument and give it to me. I should warn you, though. The moment it leaves your hand, you'll be dead." She pushed him towards something Elena hadn't noticed before. "You have one minute before she dies."

Katherine moved back over to stand by her. All Elena could look at was Stefan. He was blurry because her eyes were filled with tears, and she blinked to clear them. She knew he would do it to save her. Instead of wasting their last minute together, she told him, "I love you."

While walking towards the chest, he was also watching Elena. "I love you, Elena." Tears were flowing down her cheeks. How could a world filled with such beauty also hold so much sorrow? It wasn't fair. Stefan was her sun, and without him her world was unfriendly and bleak.

A movement caught her attention. Stefan was at the chest now, and his eyes had moved from her. She caught a glimpse of something black moving fast, and then Stefan had been pushed aside. Damon stood, giving Katherine a glare that could set something on fire.

"You can't," Katherine told him, trying to sound carefree but with a note of uncertainty. "Only a vampire pure of heart can open the chest, and then they'll die."

The last few moments were so slow in Elena's eyes, she later wondered how one person could possibly see so much.

Damon ignored Katherine, instead choosing to set his sights on Elena, who was pleading with her eyes. The only sound in her mind was a constant screaming. No matter what happened, a she would be broken after this.

Every part of her was crying. She longed to save him, and a feeling of helplessness came over her. She cried out for him, for both of them. They were her worlds. She would be lost without them. Elena had to constantly blink because there were so many tears filling her eyes, and she couldn't bear missing one second of these final moments.

In her eyes, she saw them both. Stefan was still on the ground, looking at her with enough love to fill both of their hearts. His feelings were as split as hers. His brother was in danger, and there was nothing he could do.

In Damon's eyes was unflinching passion. He would walk to the ends of the Earth for her without question. His life, in the most simplest of ways, was hers. He was doing this for her, so she could live a perfect life with his brother. He loved Elena with an intensity that put the sun to shame. It was beautiful and pure. His heart was pure. He knew that, and so did she. Elena's love had given him the power to save her and Stefan, one last time.

She wouldn't let him. He didn't understand that she couldn't have a life without him. She wasn't interested in it. But she felt the same way about Stefan.

Damon's mind was already made up. She mouthed I love you one last time, and felt it shine thorough every cell in her body. A part of him would always live inside of her, always burning and full of life. She would never forget him.

Slowly, he opened the chest. Elena's heart was so full of love and pain, it felt like it was swelling and breaking at the same time. She almost passed out, but hung on with every bit of strength she had left.

For a split second before he grabbed the Instrument, Damon looked at her again. She saw a world in his eyes. It was full of all the happiness, laughter and joy of love. He wanted her to know that she'd given him those things.

Before Elena could take another gasping breath, he'd reached into the chest and pulled out a small object. It was just a little ball, so tiny and innocent looking. He walked towards her and Katherine. Elena clung to the small hope inside of her that he didn't have to die, that they could fix it. But of course, that wasn't true. Damon had condemned himself the moment he touched the Instrument.

She tried to grab his free hand, but he gently pulled away. He moved so that she couldn't reach him. After holding the ball in the palm of his hand for a moment, he offered it to Katherine.

Elena was watching Damon's eyes, so she knew the precise moment the ball left his hand. The flame that had always lived behind his eyes went out, and he dropped to the floor. Elena called his name, but he didn't answer. She refused to think that a person like Damon could be gone from the world. Surely he would live on. Normal rules didn't apply.

He should have died in some epic battle, protecting a country. Instead he'd given his life for Stefan and her. For Damon, that was glory. Sacrificing himself in the name of love instead of obligation.

For Elena, everything was gone. She was empty of life, full of pain and guilt. There was no reason for anything. The world as she'd known it was gone, and a dark stranger had taken it's place. She didn't want to live here. She wanted to go back to the world full of glorious emotions and...Damon.

While she was wrapped up in her own suffering, Stefan had gotten to his feet. In his hands was the stake. Katherine was busy examining the Instrument, and she didn't even glance at the body of the man she'd once loved. Stefan, full of fury, staked her. She hadn't even seen him coming, though he was right in front of her.

Katherine crumpled, and the Instrument broke on the hard ground. Elena sat still while Stefan freed her hands. Once that was done, she hid her face, still sobbing. She crawled over to Damon's body and lay over it. He couldn't be gone. She would find a way to bring him back.

As the early sun came upon them, Elena cried for the world's loss. Stefan wept for the destruction of a woman he'd once loved, and the brave and courageous soul of Damon Salvatore.

**Tyler**  
>Tyler was taking an early morning stroll when he found them.<p>

There were about thirty, all with short hair and minimal clothing. They stared when he walked past, but one of them walked towards him.

"You are Tyler Lockwood?"

Tyler looked around. "Um, yeah."

The man grinned and shook his hand. "We knew your father."

"My father?" Tyler asked. What was going on here?

"Come with us." The man started walking back towards the group, who were still staring.

"Who are you?"

The man turned to look at him. "We are the Lycans. You belong with us, but we're about to leave. Will you join us?"

Tyler thought about it. Should he stay in Mystic Falls, or find a way out?

"I'm coming with you."


	23. Epi 301 : Living Without

**Elena**  
>Elena Gilbert sat in her bedroom at midnight, tired but not able to sleep. Every night for the past month she'd had nightmares. They were all different except for one similarity: Damon Salvatore.<p>

In every dream, he wouldn't talk to her. His eyes didn't look the way she remembered them; the only emotion behind them was a mild anger. He always mouthed the same words, and it had taken her a week to realize what he was telling her. _You did this to me_.

Every dream had it's own twist that gave her a false sense of security. Damon showed up at different points in different settings. If she was dreaming of the beach, he would be another tourist sitting on a towel. In a jungle, he'd be a hunter. She never knew when to expect it.

The worst part was when he disappeared. She felt a cold rush of reality come on, very unlike the fuzzy numbness you find in dreams. It always left her feeling unsure and on the verge of tears.

When she woke up, it took a few minutes to calm her breathing. Everyday she struggled with living in a world where horrible things could happen, then at night she saw her proof. The first two weeks, she'd tried to sleep all of the time. It was a release from the depression and tears. She missed him so much, and it was worth it to see him.

After that, she'd realized it wasn't healthy. She started to learn that he wouldn't come back, and all those dreams were doing was giving her false hope. That wasn't Damon in there. He couldn't come back to her.

Now, she was trying to avoid the dreams. It hadn't worked so far, but she wasn't giving up yet. It was the first real thing she'd tried to do in weeks.

Her room looked the same as it always had. There was the closet, full of clothes that hurt her heart when she wore them. By that was the table, same as it always had been. Her diary was stuck in one of it's drawers, but she no longer wrote in it. She hadn't for a long time. Writing it down would be the same as accepting Damon's death, and she wasn't ready for that.

Elena was shaking, though it wasn't cold. Memories stained these walls. She couldn't forget them, but she couldn't live with them either. Jeremy had tried to help, but she refused. No way was she going to move on without Damon. She would never try to forget him. He was her past, present, and future. How could you forget someone like that? How could she live with that loss?

Her cell phone buzzed from it's perch on the other side of her bed. She glanced at it and saw Stefan's name. Elena let it go to voicemail.

Her relationship with Stefan had fallen apart in the past month. She still saw him once a week, but wouldn't do anything romantic. He didn't push her. Stefan understood what she was going through because he felt the same way. Elena sometimes wondered if they were even still together.

If her relationship with Stefan was scarce, her friendships were non-existent. Everyone came offering cookies and hugs, but she didn't want any of it. The most she did was thank them for coming, send them on their way, and leave the sweets for Jenna and Jeremy.

The only people who hadn't given up on her were living in this house. Jeremy wouldn't leave her alone for longer then a few minutes during the day. Jenna was constantly trying to talk. Once, she'd suggested a shrink, saying that they'd really helped when Elena's parents had died. After the look Elena gave her, she didn't mention it again.

She missed Damon so much. He never left her thoughts, and she relived his death many times every day. Each reminder cut her heart, which already felt like it was shredded. Every place she went, people watched her. It was too much, so she'd taken to staying home.

Even though she never left it, her room looked barely lived in. Nothing was laying around. Her bed was always perfectly made, and she sat in a small ball by the pillows. Everyone was worried about her, but she pretended not to notice. She wasn't the one who'd died. She didn't deserve their sympathy.

The world was different without Damon. It was strange how much one person could influence it, but Damon had been special. He took up more room then most people. The universe seemed to miss him almost as much as she did.

And oh, she did miss him. It was a physical ache that never went away. She clung to every memory of him, but she was so terrified they would disappear. Every few days, she visited his grave. No one approved of it, but they couldn't stop her either.

Tonight she would go. Why not? Impulses were so rare for her now. She followed them blindly. What was the worst that could happen? She'd lose someone she loved? Been there, done that.

Elena tiptoed downstairs, not surprised to see all the lights off. She never felt any emotions besides emptiness, or pain. Everything else was lost. Surprise, love, joy...she hadn't felt any in so long.

She drove to the Mystic Falls cemetery, then traced the familiar path to Damon's grave. There was a small marker that said his name, and the date he died. The funeral had been very small, consisting of Stefan and herself.

Elena hadn't noticed, but tears were rolling down her face. This was the only place she felt powerful emotions, the only place she felt close to him again. She could block out the world and imagine his laugh, his playful grin, those beautiful eyes. This was all she had left.

"Hi, Damon," she spoke aloud, sitting on the grass. She took a shaky breath. "I really wish I could talk to you. I wish I could tell you just how much-" she swallowed. "Just how much you mean to me. I miss you everyday. Every moment." She stopped and just cried for a moment.

"Why did you have to go? I know you thought Stefan and I could be happy without you, but we _can't_. You're needed here, Damon. We need you back." She'd said it all before, many times, sitting in this same spot. She always started this way, because it would always be true, and it came from the heart.

"I'm not sure Stefan and I can survive much longer. We both miss you, but instead of driving us together, it's the barrier that separates." This, she hadn't said yet.

"Nothing even looks beautiful anymore. It's as if it can't be until you've seen it. Everything is lifeless. There's just...nothing." Elena grabbed the tissue she'd thought to bring and brushed away tears. "Oh, Damon, please come back. There must be a way... Maybe Bonnie knows something. She can help us." She wiped her eyes again. "We'll figure out something."

Finally, she had a shread of hope. How could she not have seen it before? Elena was surrounded by supernatural friends. One of them must know a way. No matter what it involved, no matter what she had to sacrifice for it, she would bring Damon back.

**Caroline**  
>Caroline wished Matt was with her, but she would just have to make due with his voice. She was sitting on a chair in her darkened bedroom, holding a phone to her ear. Matt was on the other end, talking about football or something like that.<p>

"Matt?" she asked suddenly, interrupting him mid-sentence. "I don't think we can hang out this weekend."

"Okay," Matt said patiently. "Why not?"

"My mom has been acting really weird lately. I just think I should stay home with her."

Matt laughed. "Since when have you given up your weekend plans to stay home with your mom?" he asked in a reasonable way. She never did anything with her mother, and he knew that.

"Now. I'm a new and improved Caroline." She smiled for a moment. "I think she took Damon's death hard."

There was silence on the other end. Damon Salvatore's death was shrouded in secrecy. The police weren't giving out any information, but Caroline knew through her mother that they didn't know anything either. There was no apparent cause of death.

Stefan had called the police saying that he'd come home to find his brother already dead. He didn't know how it happened. In the past month, many rumors had spread through the town, but each seemed unlikely and had one problem with it: there would be traces.

"It's been a hard month," Matt finally said. Everyone seemed to remember Damon as a person who did great things, and even those who hadn't known him had worn grieving faces for a few days.

"Yeah, it has." Caroline thought about Elena, who hadn't been seen in weeks. "For everyone." She paused. "I'll talk to you soon."

"Goodnight, Care."


	24. Epi 302 : Magic Spells

**Elena**  
>Overnight, Elena made plans. She slept without dreaming, and woke feeling fresh and cautiously hopeful.<p>

First she would talk to Bonnie, because a witch seemed to be the most likely to know how to bring Damon back. If that didn't work, she could look through the Founder's journals. Stefan would come after, but she hoped not to involve him. Tyler, because he was gone and was most unlikely to know, would be her last hope.

After Elena spent an hour trying to look like her old self, she arrived at Bonnie's house. Bonnie was surprised, but quickly composed herself.

"How are you?" she asked, looking worried as she sat on a chair facing Elena.

"Getting a little better," Elena allowed, knowing it wasn't true.

"I'm glad to hear it." Bonnie, at least, seemed appeased. "Do you want anything to eat or drink? You look thin." Elena had lost a lot of weight in the past month, but the shirt hid the majority of it.

"No, thank you. I'm actually here to ask you something."

"What is it?" Bonnie asked, frowning a little.

Elena's question was precise and sure. "Do you know how to bring people back from the dead?" There was no point in trying to cover up what she was doing.

Bonnie gave her friend a worried look. "Elena, I know you miss him. Truly, I do. Grams death was horrible, and it's hard to forget the way I felt. But you can't bring him back. It's wrong. The rules of nature are there for a reason, and it would be very bad to disrespect that." She took Elena's limp hand. "You will be okay. I promise. Just be patient."

Elena didn't miss how Bonnie hadn't denied knowing how to bring him back. She'd run around the answer. She didn't understand that Elena would not be okay until Damon came back. But even if she wouldn't help, Elena knew she could do it.

"Okay." She tried to assure Bonnie with a small smile, and it worked. "I'm going to use the bathroom really quick."

Elena left Bonnie downstairs. All of the bathrooms and bedrooms were on the second floor of the Bennett house, and she knew them well. She headed right to the room at the end of a hall. Bonnie's room.

Inside, she found nothing. Not a single object that made her think of witches. Then Elena thought of where she hid things she didn't want other's to find.

Under the bed was a large box full of spell books and materials. She tried to look through them quickly, knowing she didn't have long. If Bonnie found out, everything would be ruined.

Finally, she found a book that had a promising spell in it's contents. She glanced at it quickly, noting what she was going to borrow from Bonnie and what she could get on her own. Elena felt guilty about taking these things, but people get desperate when horrible things happened. If she could fix something that was wrong, why not do it?

She put the materials and book into her bag, trying to be quiet. Ducking inside the bathroom, she flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Some kind of powder had been on one of the books, but it washed off easily. After making sure everything was exactly as it had been in Bonnie's room, she went back downstairs.

"I'm sorry to run, Bonnie. Thanks for talking," she said as she hugged her friend.

"It's fine. I'm sorry I can't help you, Elena. That's really powerful dark magic, and I'm not comfortable getting into that." She gave Elena an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about it." Elena gave her another small smile, considerably brighter this time, and left. What Bonnie had said about dark magic worried her, but hadn't she already promised to do anything it took, no matter the price? Besides, what would one spell do?

After going back home and explaining to a very pleased Jenna where she'd been, Elena locked herself in her room and read the spell book. Some of them were very gruesome and awful, it was true, but other's were harmless. She wasn't looking to do anything bad, so why worry?

A new emotion took over Elena, who was more then happy to leave the sadness behind as long as she could still remember Damon. Hope. She was hopeful that Damon could be brought back, and she now held the power to make it happen. If she messed up, there was no one but herself to blame.

The spell needed to take place under a new moon, and Elena realized with a jolt that the next new moon was in three days. The thought that she could have Damon back in three days made her giddy, and Bonnie hopefully wouldn't notice things were missing for a while. Of course, once Damon was back she'd know what had happened. But she would understand in time, Elena was sure.

Should she tell Stefan? She would, but what if he told her the same thing Bonnie did? She couldn't take the risk. He would thank her when he saw his brother again, but until then, Elena vowed to keep him in the dark.

She made a list of the things needed to do the spell, then marked the ones she already had. Everything else could be found in a store, which she would visit the next day.

When Elena lay in bed that night, she sent a silent promise to Damon. _I'll see you soon_.

**Stefan**  
>Stefan was holed up in the Salvatore house, calling Elena's cell phone again. For the past month, he'd told himself that she would get better. They would be okay again. Together, they'd get past Damon's death.<p>

But that wasn't happening. Elena answered his calls once a week, then met him for ten minutes of coffee and silence. She always left as soon as possible. According to Jenna, she never left her room. Elena was losing weight, and wasn't getting better. She was taking Damon's death very hard, and blocked all of their attempts at helping her.

Stefan still loved her. He missed her just as much as he missed his brother. Damon's death was hard, but after loosing so many people he cared about, Stefan knew the best ways to deal with it and move on. Damon would always be a part of him, would always be with him. Stefan wanted to help Elena, but she wouldn't let him.

He sometimes wondered if their relationship was over, but he didn't want it to be. Stefan would work to get her back, no matter what that involved doing. They belonged together. He would give her three more days, then he would step in and do what he could.


	25. Epi 303 : Dangerous Changes

**Elena  
><strong>Elena entered the cemetery on the night of the new moon. In her hand was a bag which carried the book and materials she'd need for the spell. A determination had filled Elena's heart, and she wouldn't leave without getting Damon back. She would die first.

As she found Damon's grave, and considered the possibility of failure. If somehow the spell went wrong, what would happen? She knew her heart couldn't take it. Failing at this would be like losing Damon all over again. Her heart was fluttering painfully, nothing like the pounding she'd felt months ago.

Elena set everything up in exactly the same way the book instructed. She had the whole spell memorized in case anything happened. There was no possible way to be more prepared. If ever she had a chance to succeed, this was it.

Finally, the time had come. At exactly midnight, the same time the book said, she started saying the incantation and mixing the ingredients. She made no mistakes. At the end, Elena felt a rush of power leave her. She collapsed, struggling to hold onto consciousness with the small amount of energy she had left.

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie couldn't sleep. She felt like something was <em>wrong<em>. Very wrong. Her intuition told her that something was amiss, and it was nearby. She knew from experience that it wouldn't let her sleep until she found out what it was.

Slowly, Bonnie walked around her room. The feeling was strongest by her bed. Cautiously, she searched through her pillows and blankets. Nothing stood out as unfamiliar or not belonging there.

Then, suddenly afraid, she looked under the bed. Her spell books and ingredients were the only things under there. As she looked through the belongings, Bonnie flashed back to Elena's visit. She'd talked about bring Damon back from the dead...she wouldn't, would she? Elena didn't steal or lie.

But as Bonnie finished taking inventory, she realized Elena had. She'd stolen from her best friend. That was so unlike her. Apparently she'd underestimated how much Elena had changed since Damon's death.

She called Stefan moments later, and he answered on the first ring.

"What is it, Bonnie?" he asked first thing. Stefan knew she wouldn't disturb him so late unless it was an emergency.

"Elena. She came her three days ago asking if I knew how to bring Damon back to life, and I just found out that she stole a spell book and some ingredients from me."

Stefan didn't waste a moment. "Is she in danger?"

"Spells like this are _dark_, Stefan. They change a person. And they're so powerful. She's definitely in danger."

"Do you know if there's a certain time when she has to perform the spell?"

Bonnie thought. She'd read through all of her spell books because of Grams, who insisted she know everything in case she ever needed it. Though she couldn't remember what the book had said, it was easy enough to guess. "Tonight, a new moon. New moon's are always the time when dark spells must be done."

"Where will she be?"

"Probably his grave. She must be close for the spell to work."

"How can Elena even do spells? Aren't witches the only people who can do them?"

Bonnie nodded, though of course he couldn't see. "Human's can do spells, but it takes more out of them. Being a witch means I have more stamina when it comes to magic, and no human could do things with their mind like I do." She paused, thinking. "I really think Elena could do it, Stefan."

"What can we do?" Stefan sounded anxious.

"The only thing that could help is stopping her. There is no spell that can take it back."

"I'm almost to your house. Be ready to go." He hung up, and moments later Bonnie heard a car pull up. She left the house where her parents were still sleeping, and climbed into the passenger side door.

Stefan speeded through the streets while Bonnie watched the clock. They wouldn't get there fast enough...

When they finally pulled up to the cemetery, Bonnie felt power rush through her. It was only there for a moment, and felt her with feelings of terror. She couldn't run through the graves fast enough.

When they finally reached Elena, she was slumping over. Stefan tried to pick the unconscious Elena up while Bonnie looked through the materials her friend had used. It was all there. The spell was done. After packing everything back into a bag, she followed Stefan back into the car.

He sped through the streets again, all the while asking Bonnie if Elena should be taken to the hospital.

"I can do more for Elena then any hospital can," was her only answer. She still had a terrified feeling. What Elena had done would have major consequences.

They took her back to the Salvatore mansion where Stefan lay her on a long sofa. Bonnie stood over her and did some healing spells which should replenish her energy. When she'd done everything she could, they both sat and watched Elena intently.

Twenty minutes after they'd found her, Elena woke up.

**Elena**  
>"What happened?" Elena asked, watching Stefan and Bonnie. How had she gotten here? What about Damon? Her heart gave a very painful pang.<p>

Bonnie spoke first. "We found you right after you'd completed the spell."

So maybe it had worked. Elena was itching to go back. She needed to be there for him. He needed her. She could feel him calling out for her.

"I need to go back," she said out loud, trying to get up but only accomplishing a head ache.

Stefan held her down while she struggled. "No, Bonnie can take care of you here."

"_No!_" Elena tried to push him off her, but she was too weak. "I have to go!"

"Elena, there's nothing you can do. All any of us can do is wait." Bonnie spoke calmly from her chair.

"He needs me," Elena insisted, her voice intense. She didn't see the pain in Stefan's eyes, but Bonnie did.

She finally snapped. "Elena, pull yourself together! If your spell failed, that's a good thing. Do you have any idea what you've done? How much danger you might've brought upon the whole town?"

Elena glared. "_I don't care_."

Bonnie backed down immediately. The Elena she'd known since childhood, the Elena Stefan had fallen in love with, no longer existed.


	26. Epi 304 : Darkness Within

**Elena**  
>Elena was itching to get out. Every moment she couldn't see if the spell had worked was unbearable. Stefan and Bonnie were helping in the wrong ways. Bonnie didn't need to purify her. All Elena needed was to see Damon. When that happened, she was sure she'd be okay.<p>

With the past month's grief on her shoulders, Elena knew there were only two ways her life could lead. One way, the best, would be if Damon was back, and they could be together. She wouldn't think of the other way. She knew the spell had worked, just as she knew Damon needed her.

When Bonnie was doing spells around her, Elena felt the need to hurt her. Logically she knew she should just put up with it, but a voice inside of her whispered _attack_...

The same thing happened with Stefan, only the voice told her to run, to get away. Sometimes she tried so hard to stay where she was, her limbs would be tired and start shaking. Those were the moments when she worried. The rest of the time, all of her attention was on Damon, on getting to him.

She could tell that Bonnie and Stefan were worried. They brought all of Bonnie's books and looked through them. Every few minutes, they would look at her in a worried way.

They hadn't tied her up, but Elena could barely walk. All of her energy went into holding back the urges that almost overtook her. Whenever she managed to move her hand an inch, Stefan watched her carefully, ready to stop her if she tried to run. She had just enough energy to get to Damon, if she was careful. It would be so tricky to get to him.

So she plotted. She struggled to find an answer. There was _no possible way_ she could stay here much longer. Everything inside of her was screaming for answers. The darkness Bonnie had talked about had done just as she'd said. It was taking over Elena inch by inch, starting with her thoughts.

But Elena knew somehow that seeing Damon would take the darkness away. He was the anchor to her purest self, and nothing could change that.

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie was having a hard time dealing. It was so hard to watch Elena turning darker when Bonnie couldn't do anything. She wanted to save her friend, but they couldn't find a way to do it. <em>Maybe<em>, she thought suddenly, _it's not the spells that aren't working, it's something in Elena that's blocking them_.

She knew her friend was desperate to see Damon. Maybe that was what was keeping the spells from working. Bonnie knew as well as anyone how stubborn Elena could be when she wanted something.

Elena shifted a little on the sofa, eyes still closed. She had barely moved in the past few hours. Even opening her eyes seemed to take every bit of energy left. Bonnie hoped this was a sign that Elena was fighting the darkness inside of her. Even if she was, though, it seemed to be in a stalemate. Elena just didn't have enough energy to fight it off.

Bonnie thought about giving her energy, but what if Elena didn't use that energy to fight the darkness off? What if she used it to escape and find Damon? The further away Elena was from the site of the magic, the better off she'd be.

She closed the book she'd been looking through. Stefan looked up. He looked tired, and kept glancing at Elena. They were both so worried about her. Elena had dabbled in magic she didn't understand, and Bonnie hadn't been lying about consequences. She had a feeling that the darkness was just the beginning.

Every moment they didn't find some way to help Elena was another moment in which Elena was closer to giving up. It killed Bonnie to think of that, just as it had hurt her earlier when she'd realized that the Elena she'd known was gone. But she wouldn't, _couldn't_, give up. She understood now the determination Elena had felt to bring Damon back.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Damon coming back. He would still be a vampire, because that was the form he had been in when he'd died. He wouldn't look weird or anything from being in the ground. He'd probably still be the same Damon, just much more confused. From his perspective, he'd been asleep for the past month.

No matter what happened, Elena could not be allowed to see Damon. In Bonnie's mind, that would mean that she'd finally given into the darkness that was currently nesting inside of her.

**Tyler**  
>Tyler Lockwood was watching the sky intently. He'd already turned this month, thankfully killing only a small rabbit. Most of the members of the pack were always in control, even when they had turned. Tyler wished they could teach him.<p>

The moon was still invisible. Just yesterday had been the new moon, and he'd felt a peace in him that had rarely been there before. The beast was further away then.

The Lycan pack had been moving north for a few weeks. According to Ryan, the leader, they were moving towards New York City. When Tyler had asked why they were going to such a largely populated area, he just got crypted answers. Even though he wasn't the youngest member of the pack, everyone treated him like one.

He still wasn't sure if leaving Mystic Falls was the right decision. A part of him was still there with his mother, Matt, and Bonnie. He did miss them, just as he missed the familiar faces and streets that he'd grown up on.

For now, he was with the pack. He wanted to learn everything they knew. They had the answers he needed, and he wouldn't leave without knowing.

**Elena**  
>Elena struggled for hours. Every moment the thoughts became harder to ignore. Every second she thought about giving up, but if she could just hold on until she saw Damon again, everything would be okay.<p>

She fell asleep for a while, dreaming of the spell. When she woke up, her mind was blissfully quiet. Bonnie and Stefan were gone, their books still lay on the table. There was a blanket around her, and a pillow under her head. Elena shrugged them off and stood up. All of her energy was back.

She doubted Stefan and Bonnie had gone far. Sure enough, voices drifted in from a nearby room. Before they could come back, Elena tiptoed to the front door and slipped out into the cool evening air.

She ran from the house, not wanting to stick around any longer then necessary. She went straight to the cemetery then up the hill to where Damon had been buried. There, a few feet from his headstone, was a hole in the ground. It was large enough for a human to fit through.

Elena felt possessed as she walked further towards the forest. Her heart was beating fast and she felt anticipation rise up inside of her. Surely this was where someone would come looking for shelter. He must be in here somewhere...

A branch cracked behind Elena. She spun around, straining her eyes in the darkness. A shape emerged and a pleasant hum warmed her mind.

"Damon?" she whispered, not believing her weak eyes.


	27. Epi 305 : Together Forever

**Elena**  
>When she whispered his name, Damon met her eyes. He was wearing the same clothes he had when they'd buried him, only now they were torn and dirty. His arms, face, and hair all had dirt covering them.<p>

Elena's eyes filled with tears, but not from sadness. She couldn't remember being this happy. Finally, she hadn't lost someone she'd loved. She had brought them back. It truly was possible.

"Elena?" he asked, still not moving. Elena took a step forward.

"Yes, it's me, Damon." She watched him, then took another step forward. Two more and she would be right in front of him. Her eyes drank him in.

"Elena, what happened to me?" Damon asked in a way that could make hearts break. So weak and vulnerable.

"You died saving Stefan and I. You saved the whole town by sacrificing yourself." Elena felt happy tears cascade down her face. He was back, he would be hers. She took another step.

"Then how did I come back?" Damon still had the look of a confused child on his face.

"I did a spell." Elena smiled a little. "And now you're back." She took the last step and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Damon, I missed you."

Damon's arms went around her, just the same way they'd always done. He was becoming more like Damon before her very eyes.

"I missed you, Elena," her murmured into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. For once, he was the one to pull back. "What happened to Katherine?"

"Stefan killed her," Elena explained.

Damon smiled a little. "It would have been ironic if you'd done it."

Elena's smiled faded. "I was too upset." He studied her face.

"Over me?" he asked incredulously.

"Is that so hard to imagine?" She smiled a little, trying to make a joke out of it.

"What's going on Elena? Why did you bring me back?"

This was the hardest to explain, but the easiest to say. "I love you, Damon. I can't survive without you. The month without you was _horrible_. I had to bring you back."

Damon seemed to have trouble with this concept. "You said you brought me back with magic. Bonnie just let you do that?"

"No, she told me not to. I actually stole the book and supplies from her," Elena admitted. Damon looked a little worried for a moment, but didn't say anything about it.

"What about Stefan?"

"I didn't tell him. We haven't really talked since you died."

"So you're not together anymore?" Damon asked, way too much curiosity in his voice.

"We're not together anymore," Elena assured him, eyes bright and shining.

Damon watched her for a few moments, stroking her hair lightly. Slowly, he brought his face down to hers. He kissed her lightly, but Elena didn't want that. Every cell in her body was screaming for him. She'd done a dangerous spell to bring him back. There was no way she was going to settle for a small kiss.

Elena pressed her lips more forcefully against his. He responded as she knew he would, returning the pressure and adding to it. Elena's mind was full of sun and love and everything worth living for, everything good in the world.

_I'm yours, now and forever_, she thought. Damon seemed to get the message.

**Stefan**  
>It took Stefan and Bonnie fifteen minutes to assemble a search party after the realized Elena had gone.<p>

Caroline and Matt arrived first, both looking confused. Elena had never been the type to run away, and she'd barely left her house in the past month, never mind the town.

Jeremy and Jenna came a few minutes later, faces showing deep concern. They might not understand why she'd gone, but they had the right idea.

Since they only had three cars, Stefan sent Caroline and Matt west into town, Jeremy and Jenna went east. Stefan and Bonnie headed north to the cemetery. They didn't want any of the others to find Damon. Elena was probably with him, but just in case she'd gone elsewhere, the other's would be necessary.

**Caroline**  
>Matt drove the car while Caroline looked out the windows. Elena was gone, and Caroline almost hadn't believed Bonnie when she'd called.<p>

"Let's look over there," she told Matt, pointing. He turned to where she'd asked.

Mystic Falls was a whole other town when the lights went out. There was not a single car, person, or light to be seen. It was almost eerie. Everything was so dark, and you could never tell what might be hiding in the shadows...

"I don't see her," Matt said, voice full of worry.

"Well let's keep looking then. Maybe we'll have a better chance if we walk," Caroline suggested. They both grabbed flashlights out of Matt's trunk and walked the streets, always staying close to each other.

"I hope she's all right," Caroline said. Elena was the kind of person who never got into any trouble. She never ran away, she always had good grades, and she was just a good person. There wasn't a mean bone in her body, everyone knew that.

"Do you think something...happened to her?" Caroline whispered to Matt suddenly.

"Something like what?" Matt asked, shining his light into an alley.

"Like...someone took her," she whispered, even more quietly. Matt stopped and grabbed her shoulders.

"Caroline, nothing happened to Elena. You hear me? We're going to find her, and she'll be fine. Maybe she just took a walk and lost track of time, or she's at a friends house. We don't know anything, but until we hear otherwise, we're just going to keep believing that nothing bad happened to her, okay?" Matt said in a rush. Caroline nodded weakly.

"I wonder if it has to do with Damon," Caroline mused out loud.

**Jenna**  
>Jenna and Jeremy searched quietly, both lost in their own world of worry. Elena had been though so much in the past month, and now she was gone. Jenna knew that the search party wouldn't stop searching until Elena was found, and that, at least, was a comfort.<p>

**Bonnie  
><strong>The first place Bonnie and Stefan drove to was the cemetery. They sprinted up the hill to Damon's gravestone, but found nothing but a hole.

"That's where he..." Bonnie trailed off. That must've been where he dug his way out. The thought was too horrible to dwell on.

"Come on," Stefan urged, going towards the woods beyond. Bonnie followed him.

Inside the tree's shelter, Stefan found their scent.

"She found him," he told her. "They walked...this way." He took off again, and Bonnie scrambled to keep up.

Ten minutes later, deep inside the woods, Stefan stopped. "I can't distinguish their scents anymore. There's too many animals."

They searched for broken twigs or branches, but in the end they were forced to retreat. They had no supplies to go exploring the woods, no signs of Damon or Elena.

_Tomorrow_, she vowed while they were hurrying back. _Tomorrow we will go out and bring them home_.


	28. Epi 306 : Visitors

**Damon**  
>Damon Salvatore was back from the dead, he held the hand of Elena Gilbert, and he'd left Mystic Falls with her.<p>

While all of those things sounded good, Damon was having a hard time with them. Coming back was a hard thing for anyone to wrap their mind around. Elena had changed since he'd last saw her. Mystic Falls, for better or for worse, was his home base, and it had been for well over a century.

It was hard to realize he'd been gone from the world for a month. After becoming a vampire, Damon had thought a lot about immortal life. It wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Many days, he wished he wouldn't live forever. It took all the special meaning of life and made it not so special.

Elena's change was even harder to wrap his mind around. She'd gone from being sweet, innocent, fallen-for-Stefan Elena into secretive, impatient, kinda-like-Katherine Elena. Damon didn't know if it was the spell that had changed her or if it had happened before that, but he was still getting used to the new her.

They'd been walking on and off for the past 24 hours. Elena had insisted on leaving Mystic Falls, and every so often she headed in a new direction. Damon didn't know who she was trying to throw off, but chances were they were good and lost. If they got separated, there was no way Damon would be able to find her. They weren't leaving any kind of a trail.

Elena stopped suddenly. She never asked for breaks, and her breathing never grew labored. It was like she had an unlimited supply of energy at her disposal. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

Just as quickly as she'd stopped, Elena threw herself at Damon. Her arms went around his neck, and his went straight to her silky hair. Their lips met in a passionate kiss that lasted long enough that even Elena was breathless. She gazed at him with eyes that almost made him start kissing her again.

"What's up Elena?" he asked casually.

Elena drank some water. "What?" she asked innocently. He raised an eyebrow. She moved closer. "I want to be with you, Damon. Is that so wrong?"

Damon's arms wound around her waist. "Whatever you want is good with me." She laughed and kissed him again.

Yes, Elena might have changed, but was that really a bad thing?

They set off again with the sun setting to their left. By the time it grew dark, they'd walked another mile.

"Should we stop soon?" Damon asked, wondering where Elena was leading them to and what she was planning on sleeping on. Neither of them had any bags. Right then, Elena tripped on a root sticking out of the ground. Damon was standing too far away to catch her, but he hurried over. "Are you okay?"

Elena looked up just as the smell reached him. One of her hands had gotten a medium sized cut, and blood was coming out. Elena was holding it as though she wasn't quite sure what to do, but all Damon saw was the blood, _Elena's_ blood. The scent was driving him crazy.

When she moved her hand towards him, offering it, Damon reacted instinctively. His arm reached out to hold her wrist, to bring her bleeding palm closer to his mouth. Finally, he sunk his fangs into the area near the cut.

As the taste of Elena's blood filled his mouth, Damon held on tighter. Her blood was sweet and rich, tainted just a bit by the darkness, he suspected. A little bit of darkness suited him, though. As did her blood. Elena had the most delicious blood he'd ever tasted in the past 146 years. Stefan had _no idea _what he was missing all this time. Or, wait, he did, since her blood was what had made him lost his marbles for a few days, right?

Damon could understand how a vampire could lose it for a while after drinking some of Elena's blood, but the thought of his brother made him pull back. He released Elena's wound, now much worse then when it'd started, and wiped the blood off his mouth with his shirt. It was already filthy anyway.

Elena swayed a little, looking very pale. Damon put his arm around her and she settled into his side. He bit his own wrist and offered it to her. He wouldn't turn her, but she could possibly die if he didn't give her any blood in return.

When she'd had her fill, Damon lay back, and Elena clung to his side. Within minutes, she was asleep. Who was this brave, passionate new girl?

Not too long after Elena, he fell asleep. Damon dreamt of waking up to find another Elena watching them.

"What are you doing, Damon?" the dream-Elena asked him, looking at him and the Elena sleeping at his side.

"I'm with you," he answered.

"That's not me," dream-Elena said. She looked exactly as he remembered. The scary, dark new flame that danced behind the new-Elena's eyes was dimmer but full of light in the dream-Elena's eyes. He'd missed that. This Elena wasn't throwing herself at him, but she had a cool head and sense of responsibility he admired and loved.

Damon woke up, also waking the sleepy Elena beside him. "Morning," she murmured, kissing his cheek. He gazed at her, seeing everything he wanted in a girl. She was Elena. That dream had meant nothing. It was just a product of his imagination and memories.

"Good morning," Damon replied, smiling playfully and rolling over so that he was on top of her. Elena smiled and laughed until he kissed her. What started out as a good-morning kiss soon became just as passionate and intimate as yesterday's kisses. By the time she pulled away, even Damon was a little dizzy.

Elena rolled so that she was on top of Damon, hands out and just barely resting her weight on him. She kissed him, this time slow but full of fire. When he pulled away, Damon smiled and tried to get up, but she had him trapped. Elena laughed, not moving for a few more moments, then stood. Damon followed suit.

When they were both standing, Elena pulled his arms around her waist, then slid her arms around his neck. "You are so tempting," Damon murmured into her hair, and Elena laughed. She pulled away, gave him a look that could seduce men stronger then Damon, and turned towards the forest.

Elena was more like Katherine every minute, but did he really mind?

**Joseph**  
>Joseph Smith stepped off the bus. He was a vampire, traveler, and a rather passionate man. After being turned into a vampire in 1412, he'd loved a great number of women. In fact, he was famous for it.<p>

Joseph had come to Mystic Falls in search of a witch. Not just any witch, but the one who'd done a spectacular show of magic on the night of the new moon. He'd just recently turned to witches for lovers, because their blood had that extra spark he loved, and human girls just didn't last long enough. They were too delicate and almost never survived the first day of blood loss.

Being the passionate man he was, Joseph never left a town without first finding whoever he was after. He had all of eternity to wait, and there was something so irresistible about a lost cause.

Joseph took his first steps into Mystic Falls, looking forward to meeting his newest lover.


	29. Epi 307 : Learn to Live

**Stefan  
><strong>Stefan was worried about Elena. He and Bonnie had been searching all day, and they still hadn't found a trace of her. The only thing they knew was that she'd gone north, she was with Damon, and neither of them wanted to be found.

Bonnie reached into her bag and pulled out a water bottle. After taking a few sips, she continued. She was just as driven as Stefan was.

"Bonnie, can you do a locator spell?" Why hadn't they thought of it before? Judging Bonnie's expression, she was thinking the exact same thing.

"I can, but I need something from Elena or Damon." She looked at him hopefully.

Stefan reached into his bag and looked through it. He hadn't thought to bring anything of Elena's. The only things he had was clothes. "I think this shirt is Damon's." It was black, the same style his brother always wore...hopefully it was his.

"Do you have a map?" she asked. He handed one over. Bonnie laid the open map on the ground and held the shirt in her hands. She closed her eyes and whispered a few words, then Stefan watched as a tiny black dot appeared about a mile away from where they were.

"I'm impressed," he told her, taking she shirt back. Bonnie smiled a little.

"If we hurry, I bet we can catch them." She took the map and set off again.

Stefan followed, but his mind was focused on something else. A selfish part of him hoped that Elena wouldn't be there, that Damon had just wondered off by himself. If Elena was with him...

He focused on following Bonnie. She was jogging now, but he had no trouble keeping up. Finally, his ears caught noises ahead. Stefan didn't dare tell Bonnie in case Damon heard him talking. Instead, he tapped Bonnie's shoulder, put his finger to his lips, and slowly moved forward. Bonnie followed his example.

All too soon, they saw Damon and Elena. They were holding hands but totally focused on the path ahead. Stefan's heart gave a painful squeeze.

When a squirrel rushed up a tree near Bonnie, both Elena and Damon spun around. Damon looked vaguely guilty when he saw Stefan, and Elena looked a little annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked them, not moving closer.

"We came to find you," Bonnie told her.

"So you're back," Stefan said, watching Damon, who hadn't let go of Elena's hand.

"Elena, please let us help you," Bonnie pleaded earnestly.

"I'm fine, thanks," Elena said coldly.

"You think you're fine because Damon's back? _He shouldn't have come back_." Elena looked as though Bonnie had slapped her.

"How can you say that? He shouldn't have died! I fixed a problem and you think that's a bad thing?"

"Elena, look at yourself! Do you hear what you're saying? You're not the same person you were a month ago. That spell changed you, and I want my friend back."

"The spell didn't change me," Elena said. "When Damon died, I changed. Now he's back, and I'm fine, because I love him." Stefan couldn't listen to any more, but his feet felt like they were in cement.

"Whatever Elena," Bonnie said impatiently. Obviously nothing was going to change for a while. "Will you please just come back to Mystic Falls? Everyone's really worried about you."

Elena thought for a moment, then turned to look at Damon. "What do you think?"

Damon answered quickly. "We need to go back." She nodded thoughtfully.

"Okay," she told them, still very unhappy.

Their party of four turned back in the direction of Mystic Falls. If they hurried, they could be back by nightfall. Stefan wondered what Elena's friends and family would make of the new her.

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie watched Elena closely as they were walking back. She was irritable, impatient, single minded in her goals. In essence, she was acting just like Katherine. At least Elena hadn't killed anyone yet.<p>

She thought about witches. There were two basic kinds of magic, good and dark. Bonnie's family only used good magic meant to help and heal. The magic Elena had used was dark and used for selfish means. The intent made all of the difference, and the new moon hadn't helped either.

Bonnie was proud of who she was. She protected others and always used her powers to help. There were good and bad parts to being a witch, just like with everything else. She liked having the abilities she had. She loved having the feeling that she was connected to the earth and everything in it.

What she didn't like was when the spells overwhelmed her. When Katherine had been around, Emily Bennett had possessed Bonnie for small periods of time. Thankfully, Emily had vanished when Katherine had been killed, but Bonnie still feared that her ancestor would come out again.

**Tyler**  
>Tyler was hanging around the hotel while the other pack members went to get some food. He could have gone and had a good time, but something told him to stay.<p>

Sure enough, Ryan knocked on his door a few minutes later.

"I hoped you hadn't left," he said with a smile.

"Why?" Tyler asked. He was getting sick of feeling left out.

"Come on, you're going to learn how to control it."

Before Tyler could say anything more, Ryan left, walking down the stairs to the first level of cheap hotel rooms. The hotel was on the outskirts of New York, and there was a little forest behind it. Ryan led him into the trees a ways, then stopped.

"This is easy, Tyler. Simple. I know you won't have any trouble with it." He looked the confused Tyler in the eye. "Feel who you are. Know your essence. Discover what makes you Tyler. What distinguishes you from everyone else in the world. Know that, keep it in mind during the full moon, and you'll stay Tyler in your mind."

Tyler looked at him for a moment. "Um, how will I know if it works?" What would he do if it didn't work? He didn't know himself at all.

Ryan gave him a knowing look. "You'll know."


	30. Epi 308 : Return

**Elena**  
>Damon was still holding Elena's hand, and that made her happy. She was afraid he'd be one of those boys who drops the girls hand when her ex is around, but of course Damon wouldn't do that.<p>

When Mystic Falls came into sight, Elena sighed. Everyone would be worried about her even though she was fine. Jenna and Jeremy would demand answers, then they would try to be understanding when really they didn't get a thing.

Sure enough, the first place Bonnie and Stefan lead them to was the Gilbert home. Damon gave her hand a squeeze and kissed her cheek. He, at least, understood. He was so perfect.

Elena stepped inside of the house, leaving Stefan, Bonnie, and Damon behind her. She closed the door quietly and put her stuff down on the table. This house was smothering her with it's memories. It was part of the reason she'd wanted to get away.

The other reason was Stefan. As long as he was around, she'd have to see his disapproving looks. No one would like it. They might try and take Damon away from her again.

Jenna peaked around the corner, then saw it was Elena and came into the room holding a baseball bat.

"I thought you might be a burglar," she explained to Elena's look. Neither of them talked for a second. "Where were you?"

Elena shrugged and filled a glass with water. "Around."

"Who were you with?"

This was the hard part. Luckily, Jenna already knew about vampires and the supernatural, so this would be a lesser shock then it would have been otherwise. "I was with Damon."

"_Damon?_" Jenna asked, confused. "Like, Damon Salvatore?"

"The same." Elena smiled a little and drank some of the water.

"What happened? I mean, he was dead, wasn't he?"

"I brought him back," Elena told her Aunt, back stiff. She wasn't going to back down or feel bad about what she'd done. It was the right thing to do, and she would do it again given the chance.

"_How?_"

"I did a spell," she explained, leaving the room. Jenna followed her upstairs.

"I thought Bonnie was the witch. How did you do a spell?"

"You don't have to be a witch to do every spell."

"Wait, Elena." Jenna grabbed her arm and spun Elena around on the landing. "You're with Damon now?"

"Is that a problem?" Elena asked coldly. Jenna didn't answer. She just stared at Elena until the latter was forced to look away. Then Jenna left for her bedroom.

Before Elena had a chance to escape to her room, Jeremy poked his head out of his bedroom. "You're back? What happened?"

Elena sighed. This had to happen sooner or later. "I did a spell to bring Damon back then we left together, Bonnie and Stefan found us today and brought us back. Happy?" She walked away, but Jeremy followed. What was in that Gilbert blood? Elena wished she had it. Pierce blood wasn't all that bad though.

"What aren't you telling me?" Jeremy asked. For such a young kid, he had a good sense of intuition.

"I've told you everything Jeremy." Elena closed the door between them.

"What happened to you?" Jeremy asked through the door. He sounded worried.

Elena didn't know what to say that she hadn't already said a thousand times. She was fine. Apparently no one believed her. She wasn't always sure she believed herself.

Elena sat down on her bed and, for reasons unknown to her, cried until she fell asleep.

**Damon**  
>Stefan took Damon to the Salvatore mansion, then told him to stay until he got Bonnie home. Naturally, the moment Stefan's car left the driveway, Damon left for the Grill.<p>

When he arrived, the bar was nearly empty. It was getting late, and most people were at home asleep. Fortunately for him, Liz Forbes happened to be sitting at the bar.

Stefan probably wanted him to remain hidden, but there was no way Damon could stay inside that house for more then an hour. He liked to socialize, drink, have a good time, a get some fresh blood. The town would soon know that he was back, so why not start with Liz? This would be the surprise of a lifetime.

Before Damon approached her, he thought up an excuse for being alive. Just because it was Liz and he trusted her almost as much as she trusted him, he would tell her that he was a vampire. The rest of the town couldn't know that for obvious reasons, so what was he going to tell them? Stefan had a puppy named Damon that was buried in Mystic Falls cemetery?

Maybe he could play this so that the Founders Council would cover it up. He could say that he'd taken too much vervain one day and had just passed out, not giving any indication of still being alive, but waking up a week later. That would also get some pity from the younger 'generations of girls, who were much more delicious then their parents.

He'd run the idea by Liz and see what she thought. In the meantime...

"Liz?" he asked, standing behind her. She turned around and froze. The small shot glass slipped from her hands and smashed on the floor. He tried to look worried. "I think we need to talk." All she did was nod. Damon claimed the seat beside hers and ordered a drink.

"I've been keeping a secret, Liz." She just stared at him with wide eyes. He waited until the bartender was busy. "I'm a vampire."

Liz cursed and stood up. Damon stayed sitting, but tried to calm her down. "I'm not going to hurt you." He locked eyes with her, not bothering to waste energy with compulsion. She always took vervain. "Honestly, I just want to talk."

"How...how long have you been a...?" Liz asked in a shaky voice.

"A _long_ time." He answered, drinking.

"The whole time I've known you, you've been a..." She couldn't seem to be able to say the word.

"Yep."

"But you killed other ones," she pointed out, still confused.

"I'm well aware of that." Damon grinned. "Please sit down, Liz. If I wanted to hurt you I'd have done it long ago."

"Well _that's_ comforting," Liz said in a way that clearly meant it wasn't. Damon laughed. "What happened last month?"

Damon drained his glass. "That is a long, thrilling story I'll share some other time. For now can you spread around town that I took too much vervain and had a reaction that made it seem like I was dead?"

"Why vervain?" Liz asked.

"Because I trust the Founders Council to hush everything up." Damon left.

**Joseph**  
>Joseph was walking in the residential area of Mystic Falls when he finally saw her.<p>

She was the one, but that hardly mattered because she was _the one_. The one he'd been searching for ever since the early 1800's. Katherine Pierce.

He followed her and three other people to a house, which she entered. Joseph heard her talking to a woman, then a man. Finally, she was in a room alone.

He climbed a tree to get a better look at her. Yes, she was definitely Katherine, no doubt about it. She looked exactly the same, minus the dress.

She was beautiful, and soon, she would be _his_.


	31. Epi 309 : Full Moon

**Elena**  
>Elena needed to cool off. It had been 24 hours since she'd come back to Mystic Falls, and already she felt closed in and out of options. She would prove to herself that no one <em>ever<em> ran out of options, and rules were made to be bent.

She dressed in skinny jeans and a sexy, tight black top. She left her hair straight because she knew Damon liked it that way. She was going to the Grill with the hope of finding him there.

She left the house and drove the five minutes to the town hangout spot. The Grill was, and had always been, a favorite to all. Food was cheap and nearly every person in town had had a job there at one point or another.

Elena skipped the bar when she saw Damon wasn't there. She sat down at a table and was waiting for someone to take her order when a man sat down across from her.

"Can I help you?" she asked. He wasn't familiar, so he must've been from out of town.

"It's been a while," he told her, not moving his eyes from hers.

"Remind me. How do we know each other?"

He laughed. "Of course _you_ would forget. What have you been doing these past two centuries? Still living the dream?"

He thought she was Katherine. It'd been a long time since that'd happened. Since he didn't seem to hate her, Elena played along.

"Every minute." She smiled in the way Katherine used to. "What about yourself?"

He thought for a moment. "Oh, you know, a few girls here and there. Nothing compared to what I've heard you've been doing." He gave her a knowing look. "The Salvatore brothers. What happened here in 1864 has become famous, as I'm sure you know. A cautionary tale to all vampires." He grinned again.

Elena gave a knowing smile back. "Remind me again, what's your name?"

He looked suspicious. "What could you possibly have been doing that would cause you to not remember me?"

Elena tried to think of an answer. Just when she opened her mouth, he cut her off.

"You're not Katherine." He didn't look angry, just a little confused.

She shook her head. "I'm Elena." She thought about mentioning Katherine's death, but he probably wouldn't like it.

"Nice to meet you, Elena. I'm Joseph." He shook her hand across the table.

"What brings you to Mystic Falls?" she asked.

"There's a fair bit of magic going on here. I noticed it on the new moon. Thought I'd check it out." He grinned, but this time there was some danger behind it. "I'm always looking for a new girl."

"Sorry, I'm spoken for." Elena watched him carefully. Joseph shrugged.

"How did you come to know so much about vampires and witches, Elena?"

"My boyfriend's a vampire and..." she paused. "My friend's a witch."

"Ah. I don't suppose you know who did that impressive magic I was talking about?"

Elena grinned. "That was me."

He looked surprised. "You're not a witch."

She shrugged. "Wasn't required for that spell."

"What did you do?"

"I brought a vampire back to life."

Joseph was impressed. "Lucky man. He's your boyfriend?"

"Yes."

"What's his name?"

Elena paused for only a moment. "Damon Salvatore."

He grinned. "I don't suppose his brother is in town?"

"Oh, he is." Elena gave an _I know_ look.

Joseph was delighted. "You will have to tell me all about that the next time we met. I'm sure it's an interesting story."

Elena laughed. "You have no idea." He watched her for another moment then left.

**Damon**  
>Damon was just pouring himself a drink when Stefan walked in.<p>

"What ever you've got to say to me, just say it," Damon told him, watching his drink.

"What happened?" Stefan asked while standing in the doorway.

Damon looked at him. "What, no 'I'm glad you're alive'? I don't remember getting a Get Well card from you when I overdosed on vervain."

Stefan smiled, but it wasn't happy. "Yes, I heard that's your story."

Damon took a long drink. "You really need to learn to be more specific, little brother. 'What happened?' could refer to my death, being dead, coming back to life thanks to our favorite cheerleader, or wondering around the woods with her."

"What happened in the woods?" Stefan said carefully.

Damon gave him a knowing look. "You're not asking because you want to know, so I'll do you a favor and not tell you."

"I want to know," Stefan insisted.

Damon grinned. "No, you really don't." He drained the drink and poured himself another. By the time he turned around, Stefan had gone.

**Tyler  
><strong>Tonight was the full moon. Tyler had been trying to find his essence for a while, but he still wasn't sure he had it right. Ryan had said he'd be sure, so should he be more confident?

Tyler was outside with the other wolves. They were more comfortable outside during full moons, and even staying inside a room with no windows or doors wouldn't make a difference. They were all turning tonight.

Finally, the bright moon could be seen. Some of the pack members were already moaning while they changed. Others were waiting with baited breath. When Tyler felt the pain start inside him, he focused only on what he thought was his essence.

Hours later, Tyler woke up in the shade of trees. He couldn't see anyone else, but he could hear the sounds of the city. He stood up, wondering what he would do about clothes, then saw her.

There was a girl about two yards from where he'd woken up. She was very pretty, but it was hard to tell because her face, her entire body, was ripped and torn. Clothes that probably had been blue and white were now stained red. Since Tyler was the only one around, it was his fault. He hadn't known his essence, and now a girl was dead by his hands.


	32. Epi 310 : Making Progress

**Jeremy**  
>Jeremy was making a sandwich when Elena came in the back door. It was late, and she was wearing clothes that he would bet his memories on was for Damon.<p>

"Where have you been?" he asked casually, stacking some deli meat.

"Out," Elena told him coolly. Somehow she was already annoyed with him. Where had his sister gone?

"Did you have fun?"

"Sure. Lots of fun," she answered sarcastically.

"What did you do?"

"Does it matter? I'm back. End of story." She started to leave the room.

"Elena?" Jeremy called, sure she wouldn't listen. He was wrong. She came back, still looking annoyed, but there nonetheless.

"What?"

"Can we please talk?"

"What do you want to talk about Jeremy?" she crossed her arms impatiently.

"What's going on with you?"

"Seriously? Nothing. I'm tired of everyone asking. I'm _fine_." It was funny how her answer never changed. Almost like she was trying to fool herself.

"I'm worried about you," he said seriously.

"That's not my problem."

"If you're truly fine then you'll stay and talk to me instead of running away."

Elena raised an eyebrow but didn't move. "I'm not interested in a pity talk, Jer."

"Then I'll leave the pity out. Elena, when Damon died, you took a bad turn. I understand that. You know I do. It's natural to want to bring someone back, but you didn't listen when Bonnie warned you of the consequences. That spell changed you whether you'll admit it or not. You're not the girl you used to be."

"How do you know what Bonnie said?" Elena asked.

Jeremy shrugged. "I talked to Stefan." She looked away. "You're hurting Stefan, you know. He loves you. A lot. He's not just hurt because you're suddenly with Damon...he's hurt because the Elena he knew and loved is gone, and he doesn't know how to get her back."

Elena looked sad for a moment. The hard edge was gone and she was more like the old Elena then he'd seen in over a month.

"Do the right thing, Elena. Go back to Stefan."

It was the wrong thing to say. All of a sudden, Elena was back to being the anti-Elena. The progress Jeremy had made was gone. But at least he now knew Elena wasn't totally gone from the world. She was still in there somewhere.

"I didn't mean that," he started to say, backtracking. Elena cut him off.

"I'm doing the right thing. I brought Damon back. How could that possibly be the wrong thing?"

"I've heard this all before," Jeremy said angrily. "Do you ever get tired of lying to yourself?"

Elena got twice as angry. "I'm not the one lying to myself. You are if you think I'll go back to being the girl who doesn't know what she wants. I know now. I choose Damon."

"Repeating it doesn't make it true," Jeremy yelled.

"You were going to turn yourself into a vampire because Anna died! How is what I did any different?" Elena yelled right back.

Before Jeremy could say anything more, Jenna came into the room. "What is going on?" she asked. Neither of them said anything. Elena left the room, sending Jeremy a glare that could melt stone.

**Elena**  
>Elena went up to her bedroom, leaving the storm clouds below. She was tired of fighting everyone. She wanted to see Damon again. It'd been too long since she'd seen him.<p>

Luckily, Damon seemed to have the same idea.

She entered her bedroom and turned on a light. Damon was sitting on the side of her bed, happy to see her but with worry underlining it.

"Damon," she breathed, racing over to him. She sat on his lap and put her arms around him.

He hugged her. "You okay? That was a nasty fight down there."

"I'm fine," she murmured. Damon lay back on the bed and she went with him.

"What did you do today?" he asked.

"I met this vampire. Joseph. He knew Katherine, and thought I was her."

"Did he hurt you?" Damon asked, worried.

Elena shook her head. "No, he actually liked Katherine. He was nice when he realized I wasn't her." Damon laughed. "I missed you," she murmured.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments, Damon playing with her hair. She was laying so that half of her body was on him, so he didn't have to move far to kiss her.

It was wild and desperate, full of longing and desire. Elena pressed herself up against him, but he pulled away.

"Maybe that's not the best idea," he said, eyes showing how much he wanted her.

"Damon, I love you," she reminded him. She was still laying the same way she had been, but Damon was sitting again.

"I know that, and you know how much I love you," he told her, laying back down and putting his arms around her.

"Why do you think this is a bad idea?" she asked, eyes huge.

Damon thought. "I have no idea. But are you sure you want to?"

In answer, Elena smiled and kissed him again. This one was smoldering and slow, but it didn't stop.


	33. Epi 311 : New Threats

**Stefan  
><strong>Stefan was out walking around town when he met the new vampire.

"Stefan Salvatore?" the stranger asked.

Stefan froze. "Yes?"

The man grinned. "We have a friend in common."

"Who's that?" Stefan asked.

"Katherine Pierce."

Stefan started to walk away. "She's no friend of mine."

"What about Elena?" the man asked.

Stefan turned around. "You know Elena?"

He grinned again. "I met her the other day after mistaking her for Katherine. My name is Joseph, by the way." He shook Stefan's hand, then said, "I'm late for an appointment, but I'm sure we'll meet again soon." He walked away.

Stefan knew right away that Joseph was a vampire. He went into the Mystic Falls library and looked through book after book. He managed to find a founders journal, and looked through that too.

There wasn't much on him, but it was enough to make Stefan suspicious. Joseph Smith was known for the amount of woman he'd gone through since he was turned in 1412. He was famous because, a century after he'd turned, Joseph had started carefully choosing the woman he was with. They were always humans, and they almost never survived 24 hours.

He chose the woman because they were in some way special. They'd done impressive things or knew powerful people. There was always something unique about them.

Stefan was worried for Elena. She'd done magic, and what was the chances of Joseph coming to town just days after it'd happened? He also hated the thought that a stranger could have a chat with Elena when he, Stefan, couldn't.

**Joseph**  
>Joseph left Stefan standing on a sidewalk on an empty street. It was the early morning hours now, and he was going to see Elena.<p>

Even if she wasn't a vampire or witch, the girl still had something in her that other's didn't. She wasn't as pure or innocent as most humans were, and he liked that. Besides, she could easily be turned into a vampire if that became necessary.

He climbed the tree in order to see into Elena's room. It was dark, but instead of one sleeping Elena, there was also a sleeping Damon Salvatore.

He didn't have to guess what activities they'd been up to earlier. Elena's bare shoulders could be seen above the blankets. Her head rested right next to Damon's, and his arms were around her still. They both had looks of utter peace on their sleeping faces.

Instead of being jealous, Joseph was excited for a challenge. Based off what he'd seen the past 24 hours, she was a modern day Katherine, with both Salvatore men in love with her. It would be challenging to cut her ties with both of them. With all he knew, there was no doubt in Joseph's mind that she wouldn't be his in the end.

**Elena**  
>Elena woke up the next morning feeling full of light. Damon was already awake and watching her.<p>

"Morning," he murmured. Elena sighed and clung to him.

"Does it have to be morning yet? Can we go back to last night?"

Damon laughed softly. "Whatever you want." He kissed her forehead.

Elena moved so that she could kiss Damon. It was slow and short, but very sweet.

Damon rolled so that he was on top of her. She laughed until he kissed her, this time fast and hungry.

Suddenly, he stopped and got out of the bed. Damon pulled his clothes back on.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, pouting slightly.

"The witch is almost here." The witch? Who-_ohhh_.

"Bonnie?" Elena said out loud, annoyed and disappointed. She started putting on clothes also.

"It's probably best that she doesn't see me," Damon said quietly, kissing Elena quickly before ducking out her window. "I'll talk to you soon."

Elena ran a hand through her hair. "Bye."

She barely had enough time to use a brush before Bonnie knocked on the door. She could hear Jenna answering and promising to check if she was up.

Before Jenna could come into her room, Elena walked out of the bathroom.

"Bonnie's here," Jenna told her.

Elena sighed. "Yeah, I know." She went downstairs.

Bonnie stood in the doorway, looking just as excited to see Elena as she was to see Bonnie.

"Do you have a second?" she asked. Bonnie turned and walked out into the Gilbert's yard.

"What's this about?" Elena said once they were on the lawn.

Bonnie was worried, but still annoyed. "What's going on with you and Damon?"

Elena laughed. "I thought it was obvious that we're together."

Bonnie gave her a look that clearly said _I can't believe you_. "Have you talked to Stefan?"

"What's there to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you've moved onto his brother?" Bonnie glared.

"What do you want me to say to him? I'm sure he's not happy that I've chosen Damon, but that was never his decision." Elena was starting to get angry again, just like last night. How dare Bonnie come here and pretend she understood everything when she so obviously didn't? Elena still hadn't forgotten how Bonnie and Stefan had kept her in the Salvatore mansion against her will.

Bonnie took a step away and said quietly, "So you've really chosen him."

"Finally someone get's it," Elena snapped back, still mad.

Bonnie's defenses went back up. "You are so stupid to throw away what you had with Stefan. That was the kind of love that people die for. It only comes once in a life time, but you didn't care."

"Don't you dare give me ultimatums about my relationships! Damon loves me more then Stefan ever did," Elena yelled.

"Do you really believe that?" Bonnie asked. She turned, got into her car, and drove away, leaving Elena to cool down her anger and confused feelings.


	34. Epi 312 : Assistance

**Elena**  
>Elena was at the Grill again, sipping water and watching the door. She wanted to see Damon so badly.<p>

Finally, the door opened and a Salvatore came in, but it wasn't the one she was waiting for. Stefan saw her just as she saw him.

Despite what she'd said to Bonnie, Elena didn't know what to feel when it came to Stefan. She knew he'd been hurting for the past month, and she'd only made it worse by bringing Damon back. She didn't regret her actions, but a certain part of her felt sad when she saw him. He never demanded anything of her. Around him, she was allowed to be whomever she wanted.

Stefan gave her a look that clearly said he'd be willing to leave if she wanted him to. Elena didn't want to seem guilty or afraid of talking to him, so she gestured to the seat in front of her. Stefan sat down and Elena took a deep breath.

"How are you?" she asked him seriously.

"I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm fine," she answered automatically, taking a sip of her water.

"I'm glad." He meant it.

Elena couldn't think of anything to say, so she tried to push down the guilt she felt. She didn't regret sleeping with Damon, but a part of her wondered what if would feel like if she ever had a relationship with Stefan again. How does a girl explain that she slept with her boyfriend's brother?

But she was with Damon now. He was her choice. She would always be with him. There was no need to feel guilty over something that wasn't going to happen.

"I met Joseph," Stefan said, studying her.

"Joseph?" Oh, him. That new vampire.

"I found out a few things about him. Joseph is well known for setting his sights on a girl and not leaving until he has her." Stefan watched her carefully. "Did he say why he's in Mystic Falls."

Elena drank some more water. "He's here because of the spell. He didn't say anything about finding a certain girl."

Stefan didn't start yelling that Bonnie was right or that Elena should stay away from Joseph and stop doing magic. Stefan knew that what was done couldn't be undone. "I see."

"So besides looking up the newest undead member of Mystic Falls, what else have you been doing?" she asked.

Stefan smiled a little, sadly. "Trying to keep Damon under control is a full time job. He keeps leaving. Trying to find you, I'm sure."

Elena suddenly felt horrible. Stefan, the one person in Mystic Falls who truly had reason to hate her, was somehow the kindest and most understanding of them all. She'd done nothing but hurt him time and time again, yet he still forgave her.

The reason he was acting this way was one of the most simplest things in the world: he loved her, and he wanted her to be happy. Stefan was putting up with everything she did to him because he knew it was what she wanted, and if it made her happy to be with Damon, then she could be with Damon.

Elena felt vulnerable and sad. Here was someone she'd taken everything from, and yet he still loved her. Why couldn't she be like that? Why couldn't she love someone no matter what they did to her?

She took a drink of water, trying to bring Damon back into her thoughts. The way she'd felt last night, the precise color if his eyes, the way he held her. They were perfectly suited for each other.

"I should go," Stefan said suddenly, getting up from his chair.

He was walking away when Elena got the courage to say, "Stefan? I'm sorry." She put everything she was feeling into her eyes, wondering what he'd make of it.

Stefan didn't tell her it was okay, because it wasn't. He didn't say not to worry about it. She admired that he didn't lie to her, even when he could have. Stefan told her the truth even when she wasn't sure she deserved it.

He just nodded, then walked away.

Elena had never felt so caught between her feelings for Damon and Stefan before. She was truly a different person with each. She might have fully believed one hour ago that she'd chosen Damon, but now, watching Stefan leave, she wasn't quite so sure.

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie had been home for an hour, and she was just finally starting to calm down from her fight with Elena.<p>

They used to never fight. Even when they disagreed, they'd never fought before. Their worst 'fights' could barely be called a fight, whereas their earlier conversation had practically been war.

She tried taking some deep breaths. They helped, and soon Bonnie felt limp and exhausted.

Instead of sleeping, Bonnie meditated.

She thought about Tyler, and how much she missed him. They'd kissed just before he left, but Bonnie had no idea where he was. Suddenly he'd been gone, but his mother wasn't worried.

She zoned in on Tyler, wondering if she'd be able to sense him across such a distance. She found him, and his feeling flooded her body.

He was living near New York City with a bunch of other guys...no, other _werewolves_. That was why he'd left. He hoped to learn something from them, and he wanted to prove himself. But...something had gone wrong. He'd failed. Tyler was filled with an overwhelming guilt over something he felt responsible for.

Bonnie pulled out and pushed the leftover feeling away. They didn't belong in her, and left quickly.

Tyler needed her. Well, maybe not her specifically, but he needed someone. He had too much pride to confide in any of the pack members. Bonnie could find someone better to go, but how would she explain the knowledge unless they already knew she was a witch? The only people who knew that were Elena, Stefan, Damon, Jenna. She couldn't ask Jenna to go brave a pack of werewolves. Stefan, Elena and Damon were all too busy.

Bonnie packed a few things and grabbed the emergency cash she always kept by her bed. She left a note for her parents explaining where she was, then left the house and headed to the airport.


	35. Epi 313 : Losing Old Trusts

**Damon and Elena**  
>The next day, Damon was walking to the Grill when he spotted Elena. She grinned and ran across the street, catapulting herself into his arms.<p>

"Hi," she said when they were wrapped up in each other. She kissed him gently, then he leaned his forehead against hers. "Mmm I missed you."

Damon pulled a way after a few moments, and Elena became aware that people were staring at them.

"I need to talk to you," Damon told her, taking Elena's hand and leading them both to the bench in the middle of the square. It was the same place where she'd first heard from Isobel that Damon was in love with her.

"So what's going on?" she asked casually. Damon always brightened her mood.

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you about bringing me back," he said quietly. It was the middle of the day, and there were many people out in the sunny weather.

"What about it?" Why did it matter? She'd brought him back. End of story.

"It's just that I've heard what happened before, and I understand why you did it, but I was wondering what you were thinking."

Elena looked away. "Why does this sound like you disapprove?"

Damon tried to hold her eyes, but she wouldn't look at him yet. "I just don't understand why you would risk it. Bonnie told you what it did, yet you still did it. If a witch wouldn't do it, then why would you, Elena?"

"_Bonnie was wrong_. I did the spell and nothing bad happened." She sighed in frustration. "Aren't you happy I brought you back?"

"Of course I'm happy that you brought me back. But, Elena, bad things did happen. That vampire you met? Joseph? He was probably drawn here by the power you used. And you've changed. You're not the same Elena I once knew."

Elena turned to glare. "So what, now I'm not a pushover like I used to be? Why is it that I've made up my mind, but you're pulling back?"

"I'm not pulling back," Damon tried to explain. "You pushed forward blindly. Once I died, you cut all ties with Stefan, then brought me back so you could push them onto me. You never had to think or consider who you wanted to be with. Instead you just assumed you'd chosen me because you missed me. That's not love, Elena, that's loss."

"How can you say that to me? _I chose you_. I know what love is."

"Love is something you live and die for. I died for you, but you erased that when you brought me back." Damon took a deep breath. "What am I, Elena? I'm not dead, but I'm not alive. I'm not a puppet, either, but you treated me like one when you brought me back."

Elena hadn't stopped glaring. Holding his eyes, all of her movements deliberate, she cut her hand on a piece of metal sticking out.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked, trying not to show the fear he felt. He couldn't afford to drink her blood now. Half the town would see...but her blood smelled so good, and he remembered every detail of how it had tasted before.

Elena held the hand so that it looked to the public like she was examining it, but really she was putting it right next to Damon, tempting him. He tried to pull away, but all of his instincts were screaming _attack_.

Just when Damon was about to give in, Elena took her hand out of his reach. "Don't ever forget that I'm the reason you're here. You owe me. I can do whatever I want, and there's nothing you can do about it."

He stood up and walked away, leaving her on the bench. She would realize soon that you couldn't play with people's lives. As much as he loved Elena, Damon knew that the girl he'd left on the bench wasn't her.

**Joseph**  
>Joseph was watching Elena and Damon on the bench. At first they were the picture of love, a happy couple enjoying the nice weather. After a few minutes, though, the facade broke and the ugly truth started to spill out.<p>

They kept quiet enough so that the happy civilians around them wouldn't hear anything, but being a vampire, he heard every word. Damon wasn't appreciating the gift Elena had given him, and she was angry that her struggle had not been approved even by the person it benefited.

At the end, she did something that shocked both him and Damon. She cut her own hand, pretending it was an accident, when really they all knew it had been on purpose. Joseph had never seen a human do anything like that in his six centuries of life.

He knew why she did it, of course. She wanted to show that she had the power to do whatever she wanted, and he couldn't stop her. It was only a cry for dependence, the right to do what she wanted without being questioned, and it had worked.

Joseph was more impressed by Elena then he'd ever been before. She had just as much fire as any vampire, was as strong as a witch, but also had delicious human blood to give. The fact that she knew and used the power she, a human girl, had over _vampires_, was astonishing.

**Jeremy**  
>Jeremy was sitting in the Gilbert kitchen, looking at a sandwich, but all he could think about was Elena.<p>

He'd known her his whole life, and for most of it he'd thought she was his sister. Obviously he knew better now, but as Elena had said, it didn't change anything. They still loved each other like siblings, fought like siblings, and no one in the world could annoy the other so much.

He had so many good memories of Elena. He remembered using action figures to play with her barbies. When she was 5 and started leaving for a few hours every day to go to school, he'd cried for a week. When he was 9 and she started bringing Bonnie and Caroline over, he'd feared she would forget about him, but she always made time for him.

They got older, and Elena learned to drive while a teenage Jeremy watched enviously. She started dating Matt, and he fell for Vicki. When their parents had died, Elena had never given up on him. She always put his needs above her own.

Now Elena was hurting, and it was Jeremy's turn to help. He'd gotten through for a few minutes the other day, but then he'd lost her again. It proved that the old Elena was still under there, waiting for help to come and bring her back out again. He would do that for her. He'd finally found a chance to help her find herself again, just like she'd done for him so many times.


	36. Epi 314 : Hard Lessons

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie's plane landed in New York City just as she was pulling out of her meditation. She'd done that a lot, because it was a great way to stay rested, and she was keeping tabs on Tyler. He hadn't gotten any better.<p>

She found a cab and told the driver where she was going. He looked at her doubtfully, but drove anyway.

Just a few minutes out of the city, she saw the hotel. It was run down and had seen to many years of hard weather, but somehow was still standing. Most of the rooms seem to be rented, and there was a lot of men walking around.

"Do you know Tyler Lockwood?" she asked one of them.

"Tyler? Yeah. Who's looking?"

"A friend." She was anxious to see him. Would he be happy she'd come?

"He's up on the second floor. Room 21."

"Thanks," Bonnie said, walking up the stairs that could possibly fall any second.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It was a minute before he came to the door, and then she got her first look at him in well over a month.

He was taller, maybe. Thinner. There was a haunted look in his eyes, and his expression never moved far from guilty. She gave him a small smile.

"Is this a bad time?" Bonnie asked. "I can come back later." She wasn't actually sure where she'd be staying yet.

"No, it's fine. Come on in." He opened the door wider and she stepped inside.

Tyler wasn't a slob, but the room itself seemed to be permanently dirty. There was a pile of clothes in a bag, a bed, and a bathroom. That was it.

"Um, nice."

Tyler laughed. "It's horrible, but I'm not the one paying."

"What's going on here?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm with a pack of wolves now. My dad used to be one of them a long time ago, so they asked me to join."

She bit her lip. "That's cool, but I was actually talking about you."

"What do you mean?" he asked, way to clueless to be telling the truth.

"Tyler, I'm really worried about you. Why do you feel this way? What happened?"

"It's a long story," he said, looking away.

"I've got time."

**Damon**  
>Damon got back from the park. He went straight for the alcohol and was working on draining his glass when Stefan came in.<p>

"Why do all of our conversation's happen in this room?" he asked himself, looking at the empty glass and pouring another drink.

"I think it's time we talked, Damon." Stefan said from his usual stance by the doorway.

"We've talked lots, Stefan. Soon we're going to be like normal siblings who know everything about each other. I'm not interested in your latest bunny meal."

"This isn't about Elena."

Damon sighed. "Everything's about Elena."

"Maybe it is a little," Stefan allowed.

"All right, let's get this over with," Damon said, sitting down.

"We have different ideas about how vampires should live," Stefan began. "We both believe that what we're doing is right. Everyone's different."

"Please no ultimatums," Damon groaned.

"My point is that sometimes we make decisions for the wrong reasons. Sometimes we do things that we know are wrong because they are. What kind of person does that make you?"

"If you've got something new to say about me, just say it. I'm pretty sure I've heard it all before, though."

"Do you really think you're doing the right thing?" Stefan asked.

"I'm a vampire, little brother. Yes, killing people is in my nature. It's natural."

"I'm not talking about that."

"Then what _are_ you talking about?" Damon asked, starting to get annoyed.

"Do you think you're doing the right thing by being with Elena?"

Damon drank his glass, then stared at the wall. What could he say? That he was starting to agree with Stefan? That maybe it wasn't in Elena's best interest to be with him? That maybe she'd be better off with someone else? They'd all run through his head multiple times.

When he didn't say anything, Stefan left.

**Elena**  
>Elena was still sitting on the bench when Caroline caught her eye and walked over.<p>

"Hey Elena," she said, walking up and giving a little wave. Elena stood.

"Caroline, hi. Do you want to walk?" She gestured vaguely towards the crowded sidewalk.

"Sure." Caroline smiled. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," Elena answered, distracted. She'd already cooled down from her fight with Damon. What she really wanted was to go home.

"So what were you doing out in the forest?"

"What?"

Caroline crossed her arms. "We were out looking for you, Matt and I. Stefan called to let us know he'd found you."

"How are you and Matt?" Elena asked, changing the conversation.

"We're good." Caroline smiled a little, looking at the sidewalk.

"That's great," Elena said unenthusiastically, looking sadly at the sidewalk. She hadn't used the word 'good' in weeks. Suddenly, she couldn't stand to be around Caroline anymore. It wasn't that she was being annoying or too into Elena's business, but she just couldn't be around someone that happy. Caroline was happy, and Elena wasn't.

For the first time, it bothered her that she had everything she'd thought she wanted, yet she didn't feel satisfied or could even enjoy it.


	37. Epi 315 : Responsibility

**Jenna and Jeremy**  
>Jenna was washing some dishes, thinking about Mystic Falls in general. Everything seemed so far away, like it wasn't really happening.<p>

While she was scrubbing a pan, Jenna felt a sudden pain in the middle of her back. She tried switching positions, but that didn't help.

Lately she'd been feeling weird. Her limbs felt weak and tired. She was never hungry. She'd started to lose weight, though she was still eating.

When she started to feel nauseous, Jenna stopped scrubbing. Maybe it was the soap she was using. Jenna filled a glass with water, but the liquid made her feel worse.

When Jeremy came into the kitchen, she was sitting at the table with her head in her arms.

"Jenna? Are you okay?" he asked, hurrying over to her.

"I don't feel too good," Jenna said, her hand laying over where her stomach is.

"Do you need a doctor?" Jeremy asked, worried.

"No, no, I'm fine."

Jeremy watched her wince, clutching her stomach. "We're taking you to the hospital."

Jenna argued, but when Jeremy tried to help her up, he saw how much help she really needed. He was holding most of her weight, but Jenna almost fell over. She was so weak.

He slowly put her back down on the chair, Jenna grinding her teeth the whole way. "I'm calling an ambulance," Jeremy told her, going for the phone.

Five minutes later, the police and paramedics arrived. They knew something was wrong, so they immediately took her to the hospital.

"We're going to do some tests on her. It might take a while, honey. Do you want me to call anyone for you?" a kind nurse told him.

"No, thanks," Jeremy told her. He didn't know what to do. He needed Elena, the way she'd used to be.

He walked outside, taking his cell phone with him. Elena should know, of course, but right now he needed someone to take charge and be responsible. Right now, Elena couldn't do either of those things. She was barely ever home anyway.

"Stefan?" he said a minute later into the phone. "Can you come to the hospital?"

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"It's Jenna. Something's wrong and they're doing some tests."

"Have you called Elena?"

"Not yet. She's been...different lately."

"I know, Jeremy, but she's still your sister."

A nurse came outside and saw him. "Stefan, I've got to go. Will you come?"

"Of course. I'll be there in a few minutes." They hung up.

"Jeremy Gilbert?" the nurse asked.

"Yeah." He tried not to look as anxious as he felt.

"The doctor wants to see you in a few minutes. He's talking to Jenna right now."

"Okay."

**Elena  
><strong>Elena was walking home when she got the call from Stefan.

"Hello?"

"Elena," he said in a way that meant he had bad news.

She sighed. "What's up Stefan?"

"Jenna and Jeremy are at the hospital."

Elena stopped walking. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure of the details yet, but Jenna was having severe stomach pains."

She stood frozen for a moment. Severe stomach pains? Food poisoning? Or was it worse then that?

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

Elena ran to the hospital. It was horribly familiar: the last time she'd been there, Jeremy had tried to turn into a vampire. At the same time, Caroline was in surgery. She'd first met Katherine there.

She walked through the halls to the front desk. A male nurse saw her and smiled.

"Jenna Gilbert? I'm her niece." He looked through a list.

"Jenna is taking an ultrasound right now."

Elena was confused. "An...ultrasound? They think she's pregnant?" What else did they use an ultrasound for?

The nurse pointed towards the waiting room. "There are a few people waiting in there for news about her, too."

Elena nodded anxiously. "Thank you."

As she walked towards the room, Elena wondered how she could have not known. She should have been there, Jeremy shouldn't have had to deal with this. He was so _young_. How could she not have noticed something was wrong?

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie was staying in Tyler's room. She'd bought a sleeping bag, and now she was sleeping on the floor with it. Tyler had offered to take her place, but she'd turned him down. The bed was somehow more uncomfortable then the floor. Besides, Bonnie had a phobia about sleeping in hotel beds.<p>

She'd heard Tyler's whole story, and she'd met the pack. They all called her "Tyler's Girl". Tyler had asked them to stop, but Bonnie didn't really mind.

Today they were staying in his room. Along with the sleeping bag, she'd bought a fan. It was hot in New York right now. They sat in front of it, Bonnie's eyes were closed as her hair bounced behind her.

She watched Tyler from his perch on the bed. He was rarely happy, and she knew from meditation that it was more then just the guilt. He missed Mystic Falls.

"Are you coming back with me? To Mystic Falls?" she asked.

He didn't say anything for a minute. "I don't know."

"Can you answer this? Do you belong here, or in Mystic Falls?"

"A part of me belongs here...but I'm not sure if being here is good for me."

Bonnie nodded. "It wasn't your fault, Tyler. Truly, it wasn't. From what you said, there was nothing you could have done better." She wasn't getting through to him. "Tyler, you tried your hardest to find your essence. You know why I think you couldn't find your essence?"

He finally looked at her. "Why?"

She gave him a small, sad smile. "Because this isn't where your essence is."


	38. Epi 316 : Hard Days Ahead

**Elena**  
>Elena walked into the waiting room to find Jeremy, sitting with his head in his hands, and Stefan, leaning against the wall and looking deep in thought.<p>

"What's going on?" she asked when they were within hearing distance. Jeremy looked up, and so did Stefan.

"We don't know yet," Jeremy told her. "They said they have an idea, but they wanted to run a few more tests before they tell us."

"Yeah, apparently she's taking an ultrasound," Elena told them. Stefan nodded. "Why would they be doing an ultrasound? Could Jenna be pregnant?" Who could be the father? Alaric?

"Jenna's not pregnant." Stefan looked away. "We'd be able to tell." We as in vampires.

"Then what could it be?" Jeremy asked, just as confused as Elena.

A doctor walked through the doors and came up to them. He knew Elena's family, they were friends.

"Hi, Elena, Jeremy." He nodded to them and Stefan. "Elena, could I have a word?"

She felt like a fake when she followed him to his office. Jeremy had been the one to bring Jenna here. He'd been the one who'd seen the signs, and she'd just gotten here.

"What's going on?" Elena asked. She needed to know. Another moment and her brain would explode from anxiety. This was Jenna. She was so selfless, and never did anything wrong. Every intention she had was good.

"Jenna came to us with a variety of problems, the most severe being the stomach pains. We've done a few tests, but only after the ultrasound was I sure." He paused, and Elena stopped breathing. Her heart stopped beating. "Your aunt has pancreatic cancer."

The doctor kept talking, but Elena couldn't listen. Jenna, the woman she'd known all her life and who'd taken her niece and nephew in when their parents had died, had cancer. She was struck with the injustice of it all. Why was it that bad things happened to good people? Something was stuck in her throat.

Elena knew a few things about cancer, but her whole body had suddenly gone on red alert. Only important things like breathing and heartbeats were happening, and the only thoughts in her mind were the most basic of information.

"What stage is she?" she asked, interrupting the doctor.

"I did a CT scan, and she's recently moved onto stage three."

"What's that mean exactly?" Why did doctors always think normal people spoke doctor-talk? She didn't know what stage three meant.

"There are four levels, each worse then the next. Stage three means the tumor has entered nearby blood vessels."

"Jenna is at a point where there a few options. We need to take action fairly quickly so that the tumor cannot spread to other organs. I'd like to surgically remove the tumor. It may still be early enough that we can remove it."

"And if that doesn't work?" Elena asked breathlessly.

The doctor gave her a serious look. "We'll deal with that when the time comes."

She felt like crying, but managed to hold back the tears. "Why didn't we know about this earlier?"

"Pancreatic cancer is known for not showing signs until it's fairly far along. Many of the symptoms are misdiagnosed because they are so varied."

Elena nodded slowly. She couldn't believe how selfish she'd been with lately. She couldn't believe that it had taking Jenna getting cancer for her to realize how wrong she'd been lately.

She walked back down the hall that lead to the waiting room. She stopped outside of the doors, trying to reign in her emotions and regain control of her face. Right now, she was pretty sure shock and anxiety was the expression she wore. She felt unbelievably scared and sad.

Elena wished her parents were still alive so they could tell her everything would be okay. Sometime in the past year, she'd gotten to be the person who knew the whole truth of a story, as awful as it may be. She was no longer the kid who got limited information that she could handle. She was expected to handle every bit of news now.

Somehow, she turned her expression into one that was unreadable. Her energy was calm and contained. Her emotions, under control. It was her turn to tell Jeremy what he could handle.

Elena walked into the room, holding everything in place. Jeremy stood up, and Stefan took a step away from the wall, but didn't move closer. Jeremy walked up to her.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, still looking anxious.

She sat him down in some chairs and gestured for Stefan to join them. When he did, Elena told them.

"Jenna has pancreatic cancer. They're going to try surgery soon." Stefan studied her face carefully, and Elena watched sadly as the same pain crossed Jeremy's face that had crossed hers.

"When is the surgery going to be?"

"I'm not sure yet. Soon."

When they were about to leave, Elena talked to the nurse about when Jenna's surgery could take place. He called the doctor, and told her, "We're backed up with surgeries for a few weeks. Her doctor says it should happen soon, but unless something happens, it won't be for the next two weeks."

Elena nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

She left with Jeremy and Stefan, one on each side. She put her arm around Jeremy, because they both needed it. She tentatively touched her hand to Stefan's, silently asking. When he did the same, they held hands.

**Stefan**  
>Stefan drove up to the Salvatore mansion. Elena and Jeremy were at home. He'd known they'd want some time to themselves without other's interrupting.<p>

He was just as worried about Elena as he was for Jenna. If Jenna died, Elena would have no adult figures left. She had been so amazing when she'd come out to tell Jeremy. So assured and calming. Not many forty year olds could do that. She was not just calm, but calming to those around her.

Something amazing had happened today with Elena. She'd been more like her old self then she'd been in weeks. He was glad it'd been Jenna who'd snapped her out of it.

The only question now was: would Elena go back to the way she used to be? Or back to the way she'd been the last few weeks?


	39. Epi 317 : Relationship 101

**Damon**  
>Damon knocked on the Gilbert door, surprised and just a little annoyed with Jeremy answered.<p>

"Your sister home?" he asked.

Jeremy gave him a level stare. "No, she's out right now."

"Then you won't mind if I come in?" he said, then walked inside without waiting for an answer. There were no sounds of another person. Jeremy wasn't lying.

"Do you know where she's at?"

Jeremy shrugged, and Damon noticed for the first time how exhausted and bad he looked. "Probably at the hospital."

"Why is she in the hospital?"

"Jenna has pancreatic cancer."

Damon was shocked. Jenna? She had cancer? And Elena was dealing with this? _If she needed your help_, a small voice told him, _she'd have called_. And she hadn't. So that was that.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said uncomfortably. "Um, let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Yeah, thanks." Damon started walking for the door. "Hey, Damon?" The vampire stopped and turned back around. "I don't think you're good for my sister." He said it in a way that wasn't rude or judgmental, but still made himself clear. Damon left without saying anything.

**Joseph**_  
>Mystic Falls is such an interesting place, <em>Joseph thought. He should have come here a century ago.

So many things happened here every day, especially around Elena. She seemed to be a magnet for interesting things. She was dating a vampire, possibly getting back with her vampire boyfriend's vampire brother, she knew a witch, and he had reason to believe she knew a werewolf too.

Things had changed in the last 24 hours. Joseph had noticed Elena spending an inordinate amount of time at her home. When she wasn't at home, she was at the hospital. There was nothing to suggest she was sick, so he assumed she knew someone who was hurt.

Elena herself seemed different. She was more subdued and worried, always looking anxious. She didn't fight with anyone. She didn't see Damon, but that was understandable. Instead, Stefan Salvatore could usually be seen around the Gilbert house.

Things in this town were changing. If he was going to act, it would have to be soon. He wanted Elena for his own, and soon she would come with him.

**Bonnie  
><strong>Bonnie was packing when Tyler walked in.

"You're leaving already?" he asked. She smiled apologetically.

"Yeah. There's nothing more I can do here."

Tyler was quiet, and she knew he was still undecided about coming to Mystic Falls with her.

Bonnie leaned against the wall, grabbing her water bottle and taking a drink. It wasn't getting any cooler here.

"What are you going to do?" she asked with an even face.

"I don't know."

"You can always come back, Tyler. Go with me to Mystic Falls, and if you don't like it there more then you like it here, you can come back."

"It's not that simple, Bonnie."

"Maybe you're making it complicated. It can be simple if you just let it be."

"How am I going to explain why I was gone so long?" Tyler was sitting on the bed, head bent with stress.

"Tell them you just ran away. That's what everyone thinks happened anyway."

"And you convinced me to come back? How are we going to explain how you found me in the first place?"

She thought. "Because I just know you well." They both smiled and laughed a little.

Bonnie went to sit on the bed, turning the fan as she went. "You don't always have to do thing alone, Tyler. There's a whole community that cares about you. Your mom cares about you. I care about you." She realized what she'd said, looked away, and tried very hard not to blush, which of course made her blush harder.

When Tyler leaned his head towards hers, Bonnie instinctively did the same. It had been two months since their first (and only) kiss, and they'd both been through a lot in that time.

It was better then she remembered. They were connected now. He knew her better then possibly anyone, and she definitely knew him better then anyone.

The kiss was no longer fireworks, but it had an intensity that more then made up for it. They cared about each other, and their greatest hope was that the other would be happy. That changed them. It'd changed her, she knew. She understood people better now.

When they broke apart, Tyler stroked her cheek once with his fingers. She felt herself swoon a little, and finally she knew he would be coming back with her.


	40. Epi 318 : Finding Yourself

**Elena  
><strong>Elena had lived in both the Gilbert house and the hospital the past two days. The doctors were running a few more tests on her, but they were going to let her come home soon. Elena had been worried at first about taking on the responsibility of watching Jenna for signs of cancer, but now she was ready. It was what she had to do. She owed it to Jenna, anyway.

Today the doctors were looking at all of the tests and deciding if Jenna could come home. She looked better every time Elena saw her, so neither of them were worried that she wouldn't be allowed home.

Stefan had become a sort of fixture around the Gilbert home. Elena didn't mind as much as she'd thought she would. They talked, but it was always about Jenna or Jeremy or both.

Today Jeremy was visiting Jenna all day, so Elena had stayed home. She didn't want to interfere with his visit. She'd grown accustomed the past two days to always moving and being busy. Now she had nothing to do except wait.

"Do you want to get some coffee?" Stefan asked from the doorway. Elena was at the dining room table, and was contemplating another cup.

Stefan had been so nice for their family, and she was very thankful for him. Nonetheless, they didn't need to be spending unnecessary money right now. "No, thanks. I've got some already. You can help yourself." She gestured to the coffee maker in the corner. Stefan smiled a little and shook his head.

"Come on, my treat. You need to get out of the house."

Elena thought about it, and nodded in the end. There was something so comfortable about spending time with Stefan. It helped her focus on what needed to be done.

Stefan drove them to the local cafe, and Elena ordered plain black coffee. They sat at a secluded table, far away from innocent ears.

"I thought you were a mocha fan," he commented.

"Not today. Today's a caffeine day."

"It's okay to be worried about Jenna," he said, looking wise and calm.

Elena's eyes filled with the tears she so often repressed. "If I lose it, everyone does."

"It may feel that way, but you don't have to hold everyone up. Jeremy's grown into a tough, mature man. You don't need to always take care of him."

A tear fell down Elena's cheek, and she wiped it away. "Why did this have to happen to Jenna? I mean, I wouldn't wish for it to happen to anyone else, but why Jenna? What has she ever done to deserve this?"

Stefan nodded sadly. "You'll feel this way and ask those same questions more then once in your life. It's hard, but life isn't fair."

Elena was glad the cafe was empty. "Jenna is such a hard worker, and she does so much for everyone else. She's so selfless. She changed her whole life for Jer and I." She took a shaky breath. "I don't know what I'll do if something bad happens. I'm not sure I can make it."

Stefan's hand was near her's on the table, and he put his over hers. "You will get through this, Elena. You're not alone."

"I-I just think of Jeremy and he can't lose anymore. I've watched him lose so many people he loved over the past year and I just can't watch it happen anymore. He's so young, yet he's lost just as much as some grandparents." Tears were rolling down her cheeks now. No matter how unfair the world may be to Jenna and herself, what Jeremy had gone through was so much worse. She felt so helpless, because no matter what she did there was no way to protect Jeremy, and that was exactly what she wanted to do.

Stefan nodded, then walked over to her side of the table. Elena hugged him fiercely, trying to stop her tears. No one was around to disturb them, and she was happy for that.

"I know, Elena, I know," he murmured, hugging her.

When she pulled back, Stefan wiped the wet strands of hair from her face. Elena felt defeated and so, so sad. She'd really messed up the past two months.

Right before her eyes, Stefan was becoming part of her again. Damon had been right. She loved them both, but she'd never chosen anyone. When she'd felt lost, Elena had turned to Damon. Now that she'd been found again, Stefan was stepping back into her life. He'd never really left, though.

She still wasn't choosing, but Elena felt so right when she pressed her lips to Stefan's. She could feel now that the darkness Bonnie had warned about was gone. This kiss was better then all of the other's combined, because they'd learned a thing or two since then. Elena knew that Stefan would always be a part of her, even if she chose Damon.

She was going to have to figure some things out soon, but right now she was happy being with Stefan. She would explain and apologize to Damon soon.

This was the Stefan she'd first fallen in love with. She'd never stopped loving him. He would always love her, just a she would him. He had been the only person to really see and understand her the past two months.

Elena couldn't understand how it had happened under the circumstances, but somehow she was happy again. Of course she was extremely worried for Jenna, and she still felt helpless when thinking of Jeremy, but right now, in Stefan's arms, she felt whole and well for the first time in months.


	41. Epi 319 : Helping Yourself

**Joseph**  
>Joseph felt for Elena. He remembered vaguely of losing his family members long ago. She was doing her best, and trying to stay strong.<p>

She was back with Stefan, and Damon was still not coming around the house. No matter what the smarter Mystic Falls citizens said, Elena was very much like Katherine. She couldn't choose, so she kept them both.

Lately Joseph had started imagining eternal life with Elena. He'd have to stop her relationships soon, but for now he was so interested in how the drama was going to work out. He would have her soon, and he was hopeful she'd survive.

In his fantasy, she came with him willingly, and then let him drink her blood. Of course, her blood would be delicious, and much better then most. After a few days of that, he would turn her into a vampire, and she would be his mate forever.

It may only be a fantasy, but Joseph was hopeful it would come true. He didn't see any reason it wouldn't.

He was watching her every minute of every day now. He was mesmerized by her and everything she did.

Joseph had never wanted anyone so badly in before.

**Jenna**  
>Jenna had finally been allowed to come home. Elena came to pick her up, chatting to the doctors about what to watch out for.<p>

Jenna was watching her niece carefully. She knew Jeremy and Elena would be worried, even though she wished they weren't. She wanted to protect them both from this, and she wished they didn't feel the need to feel this way.

There were other things about Elena, though. She was distracted. She wasn't the way she'd been the past few weeks. Elena was more calm and mature then Jenna had ever seen her before.

They got into the car, and Elena drove out of the parking lot.

"What's going on?" Jenna asked, never one to avoid a subject.

"What do you mean?" Elena replied, too casual.

"What are you thinking about?"

After a moments pause, Elena answered, "Stefan. And Damon. Both."

"Ah. Are you, um, still with Damon?"

"Unknown at this time."

"Oh." Elena nodded, still looking out the windshield. "Would you like some advice?"

The younger woman laughed. "Advice? On my relationship with vampires?"

"Advice works no matter what species you're talking about. It'll still work if you start dating a werewolf." Jenna grinned.

"All right."

"You obviously care about both Stefan and Damon, each in their different ways," Jenna began. "We both know you can be happy with either, so that's not the problem."

"What is the problem?" Elena asked.

"The problem is that you're not sure which side of yourself to choose."

"How do I fix that?"

"At some point, you'll realize that you need one of their attributes more then the other. A part of you won't be whole without them, because you even each other out. They say 'opposites attract' for a reason."

"But what will happen to the other brother?" Elena asked quietly.

"They both care about you enough to respect your wishes. Elena, it won't kill one if you choose the other. You and I both know there are only a few ways this can go: first, you could choose one and the other gets hurt, no matter who it is. Second, you can choose both and all three of you won't like it. Or third, you choose neither of them, and you're all hurt again."

"It sounds like I ruined their lives by knowing them," Elena said sadly.

"You didn't ruin their lives, Elena. You know another saying says 'better to have love and lost then to never have loved at all.' They love you, Elena, and you've returned both of their love. In 50 years, if you ask the one you didn't pick, I'm sure they won't regret loving you."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you regret loving your parents even though they died?"

"No."

Elena parked in the driveway, and Jenna leaned across to hug her niece. "Everything will work out somehow."

**Bonnie**  
>Bonnie and Tyler waited inside the airport for their ride.<p>

They'd both called their parents before leaving, and only Carol Lockwood agreed to pick them up. Bonnie's parents were still angry, but they were glad she was back.

Bonnie shivered, because she was used to the New York heat. Tyler put an arm around her just as his mother came into sight.

Without a word, she came up to her son and hugged him. Tyler looked surprised, but he hugged her back with his free arm. Carol looked at Bonnie as though not quite sure what she should say, then put out her hand. "Welcome back."

Bonnie shook her hand, smiling a little. It was good to be back, but even better, she suspected, for Tyler.

They drove to a dark Mystic Falls, and both Bonnie and Tyler spent the time looking out the windows at the familiar sights. This was home.

Carol dropped Bonnie off at her house first, and Tyler helped with her luggage.

"Thanks," she told him when he'd gotten it to her doorstep.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. Bonnie blushed and hurried inside.

Tomorrow she would have to deal with leaving. She'd talk with her parents, explain everything to Stefan, and possibly talk to Elena.

_Hopefully_, she thought as she climbed into bed, _this visit won't end in yelling_.


	42. Epi 320 : The Future Awaits

**Jenna**  
>Jenna was folding laundry, even though Elena had asked her to let them handle the chores. Jeremy was asleep, and Elena was downstairs with Stefan. Jenna was secretly glad Stefan had come back into her niece's life. Elena was happier when he was around.<p>

It was bittersweet coming home. She saw the worried looks on Jeremy's face, which partially ruined the joy of seeing him outside of the hospital again. It wasn't fair that Jeremy and Elena were being pulled through this with her.

She was just as anxious as they were, though. She was afraid, both for herself and for the two people she was responsible for. What would happen to them if she didn't make it? Both of them had been through so much already. She couldn't leave them in this world of supernatural beings alone.

That was what she was afraid of most of all. It was terrifying to think of leaving your children all alone in the world, and to Jenna, Elena and Jeremy were her children. She loved them more then anything, and their needs would always come before her's.

She needed to make plans for them. If something happened to her, a plan should be in place for them.

A quiet knock freed her of those thoughts. The door opened, and Elena stepped into the room with Stefan behind her.

"How are you feeling?" She saw the laundry. "Aunt Jenna, you don't need to do that. Jeremy and I will take care of everything."

"I know, Elena, but I'm not helpless. You've both got enough on your plates." She eyed Stefan thoughtfully. "Stefan, can I talk to you for a moment?"

He looked surprised, as did Elena. "Of course."

After Elena had left the room, Jenna got right down to business. "Stefan, can I trust you?"

"Yes," he said quickly.

"Then I need you to promise me something. Promise me that if anything happens, you'll take care of Elena and Jeremy." She tried to hide the sudden tears in her eyes. Jenna couldn't believe she was making plans for what might happen after her death.

Stefan looked shocked for a moment, but then turned serious again. "Of course. I swear I'll take care of Elena and Jeremy if anything happens." He was so sure, how could she doubt him?

"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes and letting some tears leak out.

Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Alaric.

"Ric?" she gasped into the phone, wondering how she could have forgotten to call and tell him what was wrong.

"Jenna? Are you okay? I just heard."

"I'm fine, Ric, I'm at home."

"Do you want me to come over?"

She bit her lip. "Will you please?" Jenna needed him right now. These feelings were too big to hold on her own.

"Of course. I'll be there in five." She hung up, still breathing hard.

Five minutes later, Elena and Stefan left the house to sleep at the Salvatore mansion. Jeremy was still asleep when Alaric knocked on the door.

The first thing he did was hug her tightly. Jenna melted a little, and rested her weight on him. Immediately she felt safe, warm, and loved.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good now," she murmured, smiling.

He used a hand to push some stray hair behind her ear, then they kissed. It was innocent but lingering, and she hated for it to end.

They settled onto a sofa, Jenna leaning against Ric with his arm around her. Finally she could let some real tears escape, and she did so with a sense of release.

**Elena  
><strong>The next morning, Elena woke up in the Salvatore mansion alone. She'd slept downstairs on a sofa, mostly because she wasn't comfortable with sleeping in Stefan's bed again. She'd wondered if Damon would ever come, but he didn't.

As Elena yawned, the front door opened. She looked curiously, and saw Damon, who looked a little surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking into the room.

"Alaric was staying with Jenna, so I gave them some privacy," she told him meekly. After their last meeting, which she couldn't believe had happened the way it did, she didn't know what to do. Was he angry? DId he still think they were together? How was she going to explain all that'd happened the past few days?

"Ah. Listen, Elena, I need to talk to you."

"What about?" she asked cautiously.

"We can't be...together anymore. I know you don't want to hear it, but you're really not the Elena I fell in love with."

Her heart sank for reasons she didn't really understand. This was what she wanted...right? Suddenly she wasn't so sure.

"But...Damon-" she started to get out.

"Elena, really, this is good. It was fun, but I'm not taking the easy way to get you. Usually, you'd take a lot more work to get. I want to earn you, Elena, not just be taken by you."

"But, Damon, I have changed," she said, somewhat desperately. What was going on?

"Then you realize the truth of what I'm saying. I'll always love you, Elena, but not when you're like this." He left the room, and Elena ran out of the house, wondering where all of these feelings were coming from.

_You've forgotten_, some voice inside of her whispered, _what it's like to love them both equally. One always seems better until you see the other_.

She walked into town, seeing a few familiar faces already out shopping. She was walking by the Grill when she saw the one person in the world she really wanted to see.

"Bonnie!" she called, crossing the street towards her friend then hugging the surprised girl fiercely. "I'm so sorry for everything I said to you."

Bonnie pulled back to look at her. "Elena? What happened to you? The last time we talked, you were..."

"Awful, I know. Rude. Bonnie, it's Jenna. She has cancer." Tears filled her eyes.

"Oh no, Elena, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

"Wait, is that why you are so upset right now? Did you just find out?" Bonnie asked, concerned.

"No, I've known for a few days. I just came from the Salvatore house. Stefan and I are doing so much better, but then just a few minutes ago Damon came to break up with me, and, I don't know, it was just confusing. I haven't changed a bit from where I was two months ago."

Bonnie hugged her again. "Do you want my help?"

"Yes," Elena answered immediately.

"Then I'll help."


	43. Epi 321 : Find Your Way

**Jenna**  
>It was just a few days after she'd come home, but Jenna's cancer was attacking again.<p>

She fell to the ground as her stomach area gave a painful twitch. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing Alaric hadn't left an hour ago. She tried to breathe, but it came out as little gasps.

Elena came running into the room, then grabbed the phone and called an ambulance. She went to Jenna, who was still breathing hard on the floor.

"Jenna? Try to stay with me, okay? An ambulance is on the way. You're going to be all right." Elena's voice sounded so frightened. Jenna wished she could help her niece, but at the moment she was unable to.

A siren sound came from the front yard, and Elena ran to show them where Jenna was.

At some point, she passed out.

**Jeremy**  
>Jeremy was once again in the waiting room. This time, Elena, Stefan, Matt, Caroline, Bonnie, Alaric, a few mothers, and even Damon were all sitting in the uncomfortable chairs, all waiting for some news about Jenna.<p>

No one spoke, and that left a lot of time to think. Jeremy's thoughts were on life without Jenna. What would have happened to Elena and him if she hadn't been there? They might have gone to Uncle John. Life would have been different there. But would it be a good thing to have left Mystic Falls then?

No, it wouldn't. He never would have found out about vampires. He never would have fallen for Anna. Elena would have never found Stefan...or Damon. Leaving their friends wouldn't have been good.

What if Jenna hadn't been the person she was? What if she hadn't cared when he was doing drugs? He'd still be doing them, probably. His grades never would have gone up. Again, he wouldn't know about vampires, because he never would have done that report, and never met Anna.

What if she was gone after this? Could he and Elena survive in the world? Could he really live with the knowledge that everyone is destined to lose everyone they care about?

Jenna did so much for them both. Time and time again, she'd stepped up and done the right thing with no gratitude from others. She'd taken them in, and he'd never thanked her for that. She was one of the most selfless and amazing people he'd ever met. Jenna asked for nothing, but gave everything she had.

All of these people were here because she'd touched their lives in some way. Most had known her their entire lives, other's hadn't known her as long, but she'd still made in impact in their lives.

Jeremy had never before been so proud to be a Gilbert, to share the same blood with Jenna. She was a person he could always talk to, good times or bad.

What would life be like without her? He couldn't imagine it.

**Elena  
><strong>Elena was going to suffocate in that waiting room. She left her seat to venture outside, breathing deeply and trying to center herself. Everything had been so messed up lately, and now Jenna was getting sick again.

She didn't hear him coming, but suddenly Stefan was behind her with his hands on her shoulders. She leaned back into him, watching the sun. It had been a long day.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Ask me in a week," Elena responded.

He held her for a moment, and she thought about how lucky she was to have him.

"What's going through your mind?" he asked.

Elena sighed. "Everything. Worry for Jenna. Confusion for you and Damon. More worry for Jeremy. Love for everyone in that hospital. It's all conflicting."

He kissed the side of her head lightly. "I love you."

"I love you," she responded easily, naturally. It was still true.

"Is there any way I can help?"

"I'm not sure," she said honestly.

"Let me know." He hugged her close.

Elena turned and pressed her lips to his. She was so thankful for him, for his kindness and the care he showed. She tried to put her thoughts into the kiss.

Her arms went around his neck, and as she did so, a nail on one hand hit the healing gash on the other.

Stefan froze when he smelled the blood. This gash was leftover from her conversation with Damon on the bench, but it hadn't had a chance to fully close yet.

Elena stood very still, a reaction to the tension in Stefan's body. Slowly, she moved her hands from his neck. She offered the blood to Stefan, who didn't even look at it. His eyes were on Elena's.

"I can't," he said.

Elena noticed something. "How long has it been since you fed?" She tried to think of when he'd left their house. The only time he'd done that was with her, and she hadn't seen him hunting.

"Not long." He was lying, and they both knew it.

"Stefan, you need your strength. We got through it once, we can do it again. Maybe it won't be like last time." He was struggling now, and his eyes had moved to her hand.

Slowly, he brought it up to his lips. Elena felt the same pinching she'd felt when Damon had done this same thing in the forest, then that changed to a soothing calm. Her mind was blissfully blank.

All too soon, it was over. She felt a little pale, and her theory was confirmed when he cut his own hand and offered it to her.

Vampire blood tasted delicious, as she remembered from last time. There were no words to describe it, or the feelings that came over her as his blood entered her system.

When she'd had her fill, Elena let go of the hand and studied Stefan carefully. He didn't seem an different, and the red eyes and fangs were already gone. Who knew why if hadn't affected him the same way this time, but Elena was thankful for it anyway.

With Stefan's blood still making it's way through her body, Elena rejoined the group in the waiting room.


	44. Epi 322 : The Struggle

**Elena**  
>Elena stepped into Jenna's hospital room with news that was both terrifying and good at the same time.<p>

"The doctor says he wants to do the surgery tonight." She sat in the chair next to her Aunt's bed and held her hand.

"Oh," Jenna said, looking a little overwhelmed.

Elena held on to her serious face. "It's going to be fine."

"There's always some risk in surgery's. You know I'll fight to hold on, but you need to be prepared in the bad news comes. We don't live in a place where surgeries to remove cancer happen every day," Jenna told her sympathetically. Elena nodded.

"I love you, Elena, just like I would a daughter." Elena felt tears in her eyes.

"You're my mother, Jenna. One of my mothers. I love you." Now both women were close to crying.

"Take care of Jeremy, and listen to Stefan," Jenna instructed quietly.

"What do you mean 'listen to Stefan'?"

"I made him promise to take care of you and Jeremy if anything happened."

The tears escaped Elena's eyes. It was so real, so painfully obvious that the risk of death was here. She couldn't lose Jenna.

"You've got to make it through this, Jenna." She gave her Aunt's hand a squeeze.

"Elena, please don't take this the wrong way, but I've got to ask that you don't bring me back if I die." There was that horrible word.

"Of course, Aunt Jenna. If that's what you want." Elena nodded and tried to blink the tears out of her eyes.

"You're so brave and strong, Elena. I've always admired that about you. But right now, you don't need to be brave. It's okay to cry, Elena," Jenna said softly.

Elena cried for a few minutes while Jenna gave her tissues and stroked her hair. When she'd gotten that out of her system, Elena hugged Jenna.

"I love you. Don't worry about anything, just focus on making it through this surgery."

Jenna smiled. "I love you, Elena. You'll make the right choice."

After one final glance, Elena left the room. In the waiting room, she told Jeremy he could go visit Jenna.

Everyone was still here, except for Damon. She understood. He needed to take action when something was wrong.

Five minutes later, Jeremy returned with the doctor following. "We're going to start the surgery now."

"Thank you," Elena said. He left, Jeremy took his seat again, and Elena felt claustrophobic.

"I need to get some air," she said to no one in particular, going for the doors. This time, Stefan didn't follow. He knew she needed some time alone.

The cool air had never felt so good. Elena took deep breaths, trying to calm her heart. It was just starting to work when she was attacked.

Someone came at her from behind, spinning her around. She knew instinctively that it was a vampire, but it was neither Damon or Stefan. It was only when the vampire was about to attack that she saw who it was. Joseph.

His fangs pierced her neck, and Elena cried out. He wasn't trying to be gentle like Damon or Stefan had. Joseph didn't care if it hurt.

She'd forgotten about him. What with the Jenna, Damon, and Stefan drama, she hadn't had much time to think about anything else. Right now he took top priority, because he was drinking her blood.

Somehow, she knew he wasn't going to stop. Already she was swaying and feeling faint. Soon she would pass out. After that...

No one was going to help her this time. They all thought she'd gone for air, and needed some time alone.

Elena tried to hold on when fainting became a very real possibility. Joseph was still drinking, and every moment was harder then the last.

Finally, she couldn't hold on any longer. Elena drifted...

**Damon**  
>Damon was leaving Mystic Falls. He couldn't stay here any longer. No one needed him anymore. Elena had Stefan back. She was worried about Jenna. The past few days, Damon had just been on the fringe of things. Never part of the action, but always looking in. That wasn't his way.<p>

He boarded the plane that would take him somewhere new. A fresh start. New pretty girls to drink. More vampires to deal with. He wasn't leaving a trail, no one would find him.

The truth was, Damon needed a new purpose. Katherine was gone. Elena was happy with Stefan. Where did he fit? No where. He'd go and find a new girl worth his affections.

The plane started to move, picking up speed. All around him were people coming or going on vacations or business trips. Their lives were in motion. From the excited grin on a little boys face, Damon knew he was alone. He had no reason to smile.

**Elena**  
>Elena woke up feeling groggy. Her neck hurt, and so did her head. She didn't remember much. Just coming out for air...and Joseph attacking her.<p>

Oh.

He'd let her go? Why? He was so close to killing her.

Why had he attacked her in the first place? She'd known he was interested a while back, but hadn't she put a stop to that by talking about her vampire boyfriend? Apparently not.

As Elena sat up, she smelled an unfamiliar scent in the air. It was amazing, and instantly made her mouth water. At the same time, she felt a pinching around her eyes and gums.

Joseph came into view, holding up a girl who's wrist was bleeding.

"Drink, Elena. It will complete the change."

Elena drank.


End file.
